The Beauty of the Beast
by likethephoenixfromtheashes
Summary: Regina tries hard to make Emma see that she isn't all bad, but she doesn't really succeed. When a murder happens and people think Regina is guilty once again, she disappears from Storybrooke and Emma realizes how much she cares about the mayor and former evil queen. What happens when the truth is revealed? Will Regina return? Kind of an AU story.
1. Chapter 1

_Title: The Beauty of the Beast_

_Pairing: Regina Mills/Emma Swan_

_Spoiler: Regina tries hard to make Emma see that she isn't all bad, but she doesn't really succeed. When a murder happens and people think Regina is guilty once again, she disappears from Storybrooke and Emma realizes how much she cares about the mayor and former evil queen._

_What happens when the truth is revealed? Will Regina return? _

_Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction - I don't own "Once Upon A Time" or any of the characters. _

_"Once upon a time" and all its content belongs to Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and ABC._

* * *

_A/N: First of all – my mother tongue is German, so there might be some mistakes in grammar etc. in this story._

_I apologize for that, but I promise that I'll do my very best._

_Second – I'm a newfound #evilregal._

_Became addicted to the show the moment I started watching it though._

_This story is kind of AU, so don't be mad if not everything goes exactly as it happened/happens on the show._

**_And last, but definitely not least: I want to dedicate this story to a longtime friend of mine, who celebrated her birthday on May 11._**

**_She baked the most amazing "Once upon a time" cake you can imagine for her own birthday. Maybe you have seen it on twitter._**

**_So, Agata…this is for you._**

**_Because you are such a lovely person._**

**_I hope you'll enjoy reading it. I'll try my best to keep you entertained._**

**_Much love,_**

**_Raven_**

* * *

**_The Beauty of the Beast_**

**_By Raven_**

_~You told I had the eyes of a wolf – search them and find the beauty of the beast…~_

**Chapter 1**

_"Regina, I'm sorry. I…it's just…I don't know if that would be a good idea",_ Emma looked at the mayor in surprise, trying to find the right words.

_"Do not bother to keep on talking. I do not need any of your excuses, Miss Swan_", Regina snapped and turned to leave.

_"Regina…wait!" _

When the brunette was about to close the door of the mansion, Emma knew she had to do something, _"Please, wait…you have every right to celebrate Henry's birthday with him…it's just…"_

_"I get it, Miss Swan. Nobody wants to celebrate with me and my son. Not even you. In your eyes I am a monster, a bitch with no heart…the evil queen. And you will never change your mind about me. It's fine", _the mayor's voice was cold, her face motionless.

_"That's not what I said…"_ Emma wanted to slap herself. She hadn't meant to offend Regina by declining the dinner invitation. All she had wanted to do was to bring Henry back after their day together.

_"There is no need for you to say it. I can see it in your eyes. Good night, Miss Swan."_

That said Regina did close the door, sighing heavily.

* * *

What had she done wrong?

She had tried to be "nice" – for Henry's sake.

At least that was what Regina told herself.

It was all about her son. Their son.

Wasn't it?

She didn't understand why Emma couldn't at least give her some credit for trying to change.

Sure, she didn't always succeed, but at least she tried to be better person.

For Henry.

And spending Henry's birthday together had been a nice idea. That's what "normal" parents did for their children's birthday, or not?

Regina Mills was disappointed, frustrated even.

As hard as she tried to make Emma Swan see that she wasn't all bad, the blonde didn't seem to recognize at all.

But why was it so important to her that the sheriff liked her?

Because of Henry?

Yes, that had to be the reason.

* * *

Emma was sitting at Granny's , drinking a hot chocolate, lost in her own thoughts, when Ruby took seat right next to her.

_"What's going on? Did you get into a fight with Regina again?"_

The name Regina snapped her out of her thoughts immediately, _"What? No!"_

_"Care to tell me what's bothering you?"_ Ruby asked with a worried expression on her face.

_"It's just…I don't know. Regina asked me if I wanted to celebrate Henry's birthday with them…you know…spend the day together…like parents do. Do some fun stuff_", Emma shrugged.

_"Hold on! Let me get this straight…Mayor Mills…the evil queen…wants to celebrate her son's birthday…together with you?! What the hell is she up to?"_ Ruby seemed to be highly alerted.

_"She isn't up to anything I guess. It sounded like she wanted to do something…well…nice…for Henry…"_ the blonde stated and took a sip of her hot chocolate.

_"For real?"_ Ruby looked at her wide-eyed, _"You know how weird it sounds to talk about Regina and use the word nice in the same sentence, right?"_

_"I know. Well, I screwed it up anyway"_, Emma replied, _"Put it on my tab."_

And then she left without another word.

* * *

Back at the station Emma checked some reports she would need for her meeting with the mayor the next morning.

She could not afford to be unprepared because then Regina clearly would rip her head off.

But the problem was that Emma Swan was not able to concentrate for more than a second a time.

She was too confused by the mayor's behavior plus she knew that she should have reacted differently.

This had nothing to do with Snow or Charming. It was not about her either. Not even about Regina.

It was all about Henry and she slowly started to wonder why the former evil queen had realized that and she had not.

It was Henry's birthday for Heaven's sake.

They should spend the day together, they should celebrate together.

As his parents.

As a family.

Why couldn't she let it be?

Why did she have to see something bad in everything Regina Mills did or suggested?

_"Because she cannot be trusted",_ Emma said to herself, _"Everyone knows what she has done and what she is capable of."_

Emma was aware of the fact that what she had thought had been exactly wha her mother, Mary Margaret, would have said if she would have been there.

She would have said it because of her own, Snow White's, history with The Evil Queen.

But the truth was that Emma and Regina did not have much of a history yet.

And if Emma would keep acting like she did they would never have one.

**A/N: Reviews will be very appreciated – especially since this is my first "Once upon a time" fanfic.**

**The lyrics I used as the headline is taken from the song "The beauty of the beast" by Nightwish.**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 2**

Emma had not slept very well and now that she was on her way to the Mayor's office she felt the knot in her stomach tighten more and more.

She wondered what would possibly await her today.

Would Regina be in a worse mood than usual or would she act as if nothing had happened?

Although Emma was pretty sure that the mayor and former Evil Queen did not handle rejection very well.

And she should be proven right not even a few minutes later.

* * *

_"We are not done yet, Miss Swan. Where is the report about the tree?"_ the mayor's stare was intense.

_"The tree? Which tree?"_ Emma looked at her in confusion, but then it hit her, _"Oh…you mean that tree! The one that crashed onto Mary Margaret's car. I didn't think you would be interested in that since…well, you know..."_

_"What I am interested in or not is not your decision, Miss Swan. And I told you to bring ALL the reports from ALL the incidents from the last week, didn't I?"_

The provocative tone in Regina's voice was unmistakable.

_"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"_

_"Oh, I know. You did not mean to offend me. I think I have already heard that before…right! I was only last night",_ the mayor snapped.

_"Regina, I…"_

_"Don't, Miss Swan. I think we are done now since you obviously can't manage to fulfill the simplest of tasks. I hope for you that you do better next week",_ Regina commented dryly before she moved her attention to some other reports on her desk.

_"I really want to apologize…",_ Emma tried again, but was cut off immediately.

_"That is all, Miss Swan."_

* * *

Emma had not been that frustrated in a long time. Maybe never.

The second she had left the Mayor's office she had wanted to slap herself again.

Why couldn't she bring herself to apologize?

Sure, Regina had cut her off again, but if she truly had wanted to say that she was sorry she would have found a way.

She had never meant to offend or hurt Regina, although Emma was not sure if it was even possible to hurt the mayor, especially since she knew that she was walking on thin ice.

It had taken her forever to get Regina's permission to visit and spend time with Henry – what if she was ruining everything at the moment?

Because Regina Mills' interest clearly was the well-being of her son and that was why the brunette had tried to find a compromise for his birthday.

And what had she done?

Emma had thrown the chance right out of the window without thinking about it, without thinking about possible consequences.

What was the point in allowing her to see her son if she did not want to spend time with him?

That was what Regina had to be thinking, right?

At that Emma started to panic because she did not want to lose Henry.

And if she was honest she had noticed that the complicated and very difficult relationship with Regina had made some progress as well. She did not want to ruin that either.

But what should she do?

* * *

Regina Mills was in the mood to rip somebody's heart out.

Sure, it was her own fault that she never let the sheriff finish her sentence, but what would the blonde have said?

That she was sorry.

She had heard that too many times. She had heard it at all kinds of occasions and she was sick of it.

Especially since nobody had ever meant it.

Emma did not want to spend time with her, the blonde had made that perfectly clear.

She had to get over it and move on.

Why did it even bother her?

Because Henry had been so sad about the news that he would not get to spend his birthday together with his two mothers although Regina really had tried to make it happen – for the sake of her son.

That had to be the reason. Henry 's disappointment had to be the reason that she was feeling so miserable.

Simply because that child was the only constant in her life and Regina loved him more than anything.

She even had promised to him that she would try to be a better person, which did not mean that she always succeeded, but she tried.

Regina really tried.

After the curse had been broken and the magic had found its way to Storybrooke it had been so tempting to turn back into The Evil Queen and be just that.

To use her power to dominate everything.

But Henry had made her see that there was more in life than power.

That there was something, that was worth more than anything.

And actually it was the one thing that scared Regina Mills to the core – LOVE.

She knew she was not good at it and she barely had managed to keep Henry's love for her, especially after he had received the book from Mary Margaret and had made up his mind about her.

And yet, somehow the boy still loved her.

It was a mystery to Regina how he could still love her, but somehow he did.

Most of the time he had been scared of her though.

And that was when she had decided that she had to try becoming a better person.

For her son.

Because she had sworn to herself that she would be a better mother to him than Cora had been to her.

And so she had reduced the use of magic, the becoming all evil although she still wanted to kill everybody at times and yet Emma Swan did not give her the slightest chance.

The rest of Storybrooke did not either, but Regina did not care about that.

Emma Swan's opinion was the one she did care about though.

She wanted nothing more than to be in the blonde's good book, but it did not look like she would succeed in reaching that goal anytime soon.

* * *

Emma and Henry were sitting at the diner because she had picked her son up after school.

The blonde felt like she owed him an explanation and she wanted to make up for not spending his birthday with him and Regina.

Ruby had stepped up to their table the second they had entered Granny's to tell Emma some of the newest town gossip and the blonde had felt sorry for her son once more, but Henry did not seem to mind because he simply had taken one of his schoolbooks out of his backpack and had started to read.

* * *

When Ruby finally left with their order Emma took the book out of Henry's hand and put it on the table, _"What are you reading about?"_

_"Wolves"_, her son responded with excitement.

_"Oh, I see. Let me take a lot at these pictures"_, Emma answered and drew her attention to the page her son had been studying only moments before.

She pointed to one of the pictures almost immediately, _"This one reminds me of your mom…"_

Henry took a glimpse himself and started to laugh.

It was a picture of a wolf mother and her two puppies and the older wolf clearly was staring at something, standing in front of her babies protectively, the little ones hiding by her side.

_"See her eyes? These warm brown eyes, that make it pretty clear though that she would protect her babies with her life? How graceful she looks although she is highly alerted and ready to jump at anything that might show up? It's the same with Regina whenever it comes to you_", Emma stated without thinking about her words.

_"You think mom has the eyes of a wolf?"_

Henry looked at Emma and was completely confused.

What was that about?

_"Kind of."_

The blonde admitted and smiled a small smile.

Thank God Regina was nowhere near to witness any of that.

* * *

After they had finished eating their ice cream they headed towards Emma's old bug because she was supposed to bring her son back to the Mayor's mansion.

She still had not found the courage to actually explain to her son why she would not be there on Saturday, but that he would get to celebrate with her and the Charmings Sunday evening.

Emma simply did not know how to start or where, but just as she was about to unlock her car Henry pulled her out of her thoughts with an unexpected statement.

_"If you think I'm mad at you, you are wrong."_

Her son's words hung in the air for a second and Emma did not know how to react at all, she simply was dumbstruck.

Obviously Regina had told him already that there would be no family party for him.

_"It's okay, you know. I get why you don't want to celebrate with me and mom. If I would be in your shoes I might would not want that either",_ he added quickly.

When had Henry become so grown up?

_"You will miss out on all the fun though"_, Henry announced bouncing up and down.

_"What do you mean?"_

Emma was not sure she understood.

_"Mom let me choose what I want to do for my birthday. Well, she probably would not have let me if she would have known what I had in mind…but since she did"_, he smirked.

_"Do I even want to know?"_ Emma groaned and when she was honest she already felt the headache coming.

_"Mom and I will go camping."_

_"You will do what?!"_


	3. Chapter 3

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 3**

Emma Swan stood there, right in front of her car, staring at her son in disbelief, her mouth hanging open wide, _„Kid, you have to be kidding me?!"_

_"No, actually I am not. But mom looked exactly like you are looking right now when I told her"_, Henry giggled.

_"Are you sure that Regina knows what camping is?"_ The blonde could not believe it. Henry really was one sneaky little boy.

_"I'm not sure, but maybe it is better if she doesn't have much of an idea"_, Henry shrugged and smirked.

_"Maybe you are right."_

* * *

Emma had tried to talk to the mayor once again when she had brought Henry to the mansion, but Regina had not even bothered to look at her nor had she said a word to the blonde.

Great.

Now they were back to ignoring each other?

She really had screwed up.

After all the obstacles Emma and Regina had to overcome since they had first met they had made a step forward.

But now they had made at least two steps back - if not more.

Only with the difference that this time it was not Regina's fault, it was hers.

* * *

The next few days Emma had not seen Regina at all, she had not even had seen Henry, because her son had been too busy planning his camping adventure.

Friday night Emma entered the diner with hanging shoulders and ran right into Neal.

Henry's father was surprised to see her so sad and they started a conversation real quick because Emma had to talk to someone, she simply needed advice.

But that did not mean that it did not feel awkward to talk to her ex about it since he was Henry's father, but Neal did not know that.

She had wanted to tell him so many times, but never had found the courage to and then Neal had found out that he was Baelfire and that Mr. Gold was his father and their reunion had made everything even more complicated. And Emma kind of hoped that her and Neal might get another chance as well because they came along quite well lately and she did not want to ruin that although she knew that, sooner or later, she would have to reveal the truth – to everyone.

Regina would not be amused and she doubted that Mr. Gold, better known as Rumplestiltskin, would be happy about it either.

Right now none of it mattered, for now she had to focus what she could possibly do to make things with the mayor right again and so she told Neal what had happened.

The handsome guy sat there, right across the table, grinning.

_"What is so funny?"_ Emma snapped. She wanted answers, she needed advice, not somebody who made fun of her.

_"Well, excuse me…but I find the fact that…Regina Mills…badass mayor of Storybrooke…is taking her son camping…quite amusing."_

Even Emma had to laugh at the thought,_ "I know, right? But seriously…what should I do?"_

_"Why don't you join them? I mean she invited you to spend Henry's birthday with them…so why don't you do just that?"_

_"You can't be serious! We are talking about Regina here. She will rip my heart out…"_ Emma looked at him in disbelief.

_"She won't. At least not as long as Henry is around",_ he tried to keep himself from laughing, but did not really succeed, _"Just go there. Everything will be fine, you'll see. Besides…I'm not sure if they will survive in the woods without you…you think Regina is good with the tent stuff and everything?"_

* * *

_The next morning_

Henry stormed out of the mansion, his bag in his hands, excited about his camping experience with his mother.

_"What did I tell you about running in the house?"_ Regina glared at him, but could not be mad because she loved to see her son so at ease and it was his birthday.

When he ran back up the stairs to his room he yelled, _"Sorry, mom."_

_"And what did I tell you about yelling?"_ the brunette sighed and rolled her eyes.

He appeared right in front of her only a few seconds later, smiling brightly, _"Sorry, mom. I didn't mean to…but I'm done packing. We can leave now."_

_"Just give me a minute. I need to pack some clothes of my own"_, Regina stated simply, ready to head upstairs.

_"Oh, I packed your stuff already. It's in the car"_, her son replied, sounding immensely proud.

Regina eyed him suspiciously, _"What are you up to, young man? It might be your birthday, but that doesn't mean…"_ She had not felt comfortable with Henry planning and organising everything on his own, but he had demanded to do so because it was his birthday and he had seemed so happy.

_"It's fine, mom. I promise. You don't have to worry…you'll see"_, her son insisted and he sounded very convinced.

_"Okay. Let's go then",_ the brunette gave in and grabbed her purse.

_"Your phone stays here. It's my birthday. Nobody intrudes today…today you are all mine"_, her son commanded.

At first she had wanted to argue, but Henry was right. They always seemed to get disturbed by some emergency or something and so Regina put the phone on the small table in the hall and then they left the mansion.

* * *

Once Regina had parked the car Henry had jumped out quickly and had opened the trunk.

Now he stood right in front of her with some leather boots in his hands and his mother looked at him in disbelief, _"Please tell me that you do not want me to wear Miss Swan's boots."_

_"Mom, you can't do this in your heels"_, Henry tried to reason with her.

_"The hell I can't. I'm not wearing these…nevermind"_, Regina stated simply.

_"Fine…but don't wine later"_, he shrugged and put the boots back into the trunk.

_"Henry, when have you ever heard me wine?"_

When her son did not answer she added, _"See. I won't. I'm perfectly fine in my heels."_

* * *

Emma was waiting for her order at Granny's to be ready.

She had decided she would take some food with her, just in case, but she doubted that the mayor would have forgotten anything since Regina loved nothing more than perfection.

But she had come to realize that the brunette did not only expect perfection from others, but also from herself – that had to be the reason why Regina was working so hard.

The blonde was a little nervous to say the least. How would the mayor react if she would bump in on her camping adventure with Henry?

When Ruby came out of the kitchen with a big bag in hand, Emma knew she should stop all the worrying before she chickened out and so she grabbed the bag, paid and left for the woods.

* * *

_"Henry, you have to be kidding me?!"_ Regina growled, stalking through the mud angrily.

_"I told you to change your shoes"_, he tried to defend himself.

_"But you didn't tell me that it would take us forever to get to the campsite although I doubt that there is one here. In the middle of nowhere. All I see is trees and more trees."_

_"Oh, there is none"_, Henry announced casually.

_"WHAT?"_ Regina was close to screaming. What had she gotten herself into?

_"Don't worry. I know where we are going. David and Mary Margaret told me about this secret place"_, he added quickly.

_"Da-vid and Ma…",_ Regina could not speak out her name, _"They told you…about this?"_

She felt the anger burning in her chest. Of course Snow White had to do something with it. She would rip her heart out for real this time. But first she had to survive the camping.

* * *

When Emma saw the mayor's car, she had to smile. Henry had told her precisely where he and his mother would go for camping and she was glad about it.

She parked her bug , took her stuff out of the old vehicle and headed for the woods, hoping that she would not get lost and that she would find the spot Henry had chosen for camping.

* * *

Regina was standing in the middle of nowhere, looking down at what seemed hundreds of parts, that were supposed to be a tent.

She was in a bad mood since it had taken them almost two hours to find the place and on top of it she had ruined her heels.

_"No magic this weekend, you promised"_, Henry looked at her expectantly.

_"Then we might end up sleeping under the stars, sweetheart",_ the brunette answered in desperation.

_"Okay. I don't mind",_ he shrugged.

_"Well, I do",_ Regina replied matter-of-factly, knowing full-well that she was screwed.

No phone, no magic.

How should she manage that?

* * *

Emma had recognized Henry's blue sweater immediately, but when she reached the "campsite" she was a bit startled.

Her son was sitting on a blanket, but Regina was nowhere to be seen and she started to worry.

What was that supposed to mean?

_"Hey kid, what's going on"_, she announced to make her presence felt.

_"Emma! What are you doing here?"_ Henry beamed with joy.

_"I thought I'd surprise you…but where is your mother?"_

_"Oh, she is just cooling off for a bit. She can't manage to get the tent thing done…she is a bit frustrated I guess"_, he giggled.

_"I see"_, the blonde answered and had to laugh herself.

* * *

When Regina came back she thought she was hallucinating.

Emma Swan was sitting right next to her son, both playing cards. There even was some small tent, that looked like an igloo, but it clearly was not her tent – all the parts were still laying on the ground.

_"What are you doing here?"_ Regina barked.

This was so not funny.

_"I thought I'd come to your rescue, Madame Mayor"_, Emma explained quickly.

_"I don't need to be rescued. Especially not by you"_, another bark from the brunette.

_"Mom, it's my birthday. Don't fight"_, Henry pleaded and Regina softened immediately.

_"Fine. So help me get the tent fixed then…"_ the mayor looked at the sheriff intensely.

_"I'm afraid some parts are missing,"_ Emma started to explain, knowing that the brunette would freak out.

_"What's that supposed to mean?_" Regina glared at her, _"Don't tell me we don't have a tent."_

_"Actually, we do"_, Emma pointed at the little green igloo tent, _"I brought mine."_

_"Are you kidding me?!",_ the mayor glared at her in disbelief, _"Don't answer that. And I won't sleep in there!"_

_"You won't have much of a choice…"_

* * *

It had taken Regina a while to calm down, but she had managed to in the end because of her son and they had eaten the food Emma had brought in comfortable silence at lunchtime.

Henry had insisted on playing "Hide and seek" after chatting for a while and Regina had only rolled her eyes.

Especially since she had started to regret that she had not changed her shoes.

To hell with it.

But in the afternoon it had become pretty cold, much colder than expected in fact, so Emma had lit a little campfire to keep them warm.

They had chatted some more, but Henry had done much of the talking anyway, telling stories from school and afterwards he had presented the sandwiches he had prepared for dinner.

Regina had been more than surprised about the fact that he had done it unnoticed while she had taken a shower in the morning.

When it had gotten completely dark Henry told his mothers that he was getting tired and would go to sleep Regina had started to feel uncomfortable.

What was she supposed to do? Talk to Emma all by herself?

Now that was a bad idea. That never went well.

Emma seemed to hesitate as well and so they sat there, watching each other, weighing their options.

It was the blonde, who broke the silence in the end.

_"Regina, I really want to apologize. I didn't mean to offend you…I was just…well, you took me by surprise when you offered to…you know. I'm truly sorry."_

_"Apologies are just empty words, Miss Swan."_

Emma studied the brunette's face through the flickering light of the fire for a while and she started to wonder why Regina kept everybody at so much distance.

_"Not to me, Regina. And I mean it when I say that I am sorry",_ the blonde stated after a while.

_"Fine."_

It was barely a whisper and then they were back to sitting in silence.

_"Can I ask you something?"_ Emma looked at Regina expectantly and when she did not get an answer she decided to go for it because the brunette had not protested.

_"Where did you get that scar from? The one above your lip?"_

_"Really, Miss Swan? You are wondering about my lips?"_ Regina answered provokingly.

_"What? No! Well, not like that. But I've been wondering…I don't know…you don't have to answer me though."_

_"Oh, I won't, Miss Swan. You might be Henry's mother, but you are not my friend"_, the mayor did sound colder than before, but then she looked Emma straight in the eye, _"Why do you even care?"_

_"Because…well…you might have been The Evil Queen, but nobody…and I mean that…nobody deserves to get harmed"_, the blonde replied honestly.

Regina was taken aback by Emma's answer because for once she knew that Emma Swan was speaking the truth and after a while she cleared her throat,_ "My former husband Leopold…let's say he wasn't the most sensitive guy."_

Emma nodded in understanding, but did not say anything until the fire was about to go out, _"Let's go, get some sleep."_

_"I already told you. I'm not going to sleep in that…whatever that is",_ Regina replied dryly.

_"You can't stay here, Regina. You will freeze to death"_, the blonde demanded.

_"As if you would mind…"_

Emma stood right in front of the mayor right then, looked her straight in the eye once more, _"Actually, I do."_


	4. Chapter 4

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 4**

Regina sat there, weighing her options.

Every fiber of her body was bucking against the idea of sleeping in this ridiculously small tent – together with Henry. And Emma Swan.

But if she would stay outside the whole night she would be sick like hell in the morning, it was way too cold.

She had been more than glad that Henry had packed one of her warmer jackets because otherwise she would have frozen all day. That boy really was smart and she was so proud of him, despite of the debacle with the tent.

_"Regina?"_

Emma's voice was soft and she sounded worried, which had the brunette out of her thoughts immediately.

_"Fine. Let's go before I change my mind."_

When Emma opened the tent carefully they found Henry sleeping safe and sound on the left side and the blonde cursed herself.

She had expected that her son would position himself somewhere in the middle – as some sort of "shield" between her and the brunette, but obviously he had not thought of that.

Great.

_"You can sleep next to Henry…I…I'll squeeze myself into the other corner",_ Emma stated nervously, recognizing the furious expression on Regina's face, _"After you, Madame Mayor. Make yourself comfortable."_

The brunette's laugh was bitter, bizarre even, but she crawled into the tent none-the-less – much to Emma's surprise, who had prepared herself for some more arguing, but Regina obviously did not want to wake their sleeping son.

Once Regina was covered with one of the blankets Henry had packed, Emma crawled into the tent as well, careful not to touch the brunette more than necessary because she was not sure how Regina might react.

The mayor had tried to be "nice" although this whole camping experience clearly was not for Regina, but she had done her best anyway – for Henry.

And that was what Emma was giving her credit for.

When both women were settled, lying back to back, the silence became unbearable.

Emma knew she would not be able to sleep because this whole situation was more than just weird and Regina did not seem to be more comfortable either.

Plus the brunette had to be freezing because she was shivering like crazy.

Before Emma could talk herself out of it she turned round, put her own blanket over Regina's body and rested her arm on the mayor's waist.

_"What do you think you are doing, Miss Swan?"_ was the growled response to Emma's action.

_"Don't deny it, Regina. You are freezing…you are shaking like a leaf. There is no point in arguing about it and you don't want to wake Henry, do you?"_ the blonde replied matter-of-factly.

Regina wanted to curse, she wanted to yell, but she knew she had been caught by Emma.

Caught by Emma Swan of all people.

When there was no answer from the brunette, Emma moved a little closer, so her blanket would cover them both, _"Good night, Regina."_

_"Good night…Miss Swan."_

* * *

When Emma woke up she was startled. She was still in the same position as she had fallen asleep, Regina snuggled even more into her now.

She was honestly surprised that she had managed to drift off at all because the situation had been so bizarre.

And it still was.

Emma wanted to get out of the tent, but Regina and Henry where still asleep and she did not want to wake them up, especially since she figured that the brunette had to be even grumpier in the mornings.

No way in hell she would risk anything.

But then Henry seemed to stir and soon after that there was a whispered _"Emma, are you awake?"_

_"Yeah, I am. What's up, kid?"_ the blonde whispered back.

_"You think we can get out without waking mom? It's good to see her sleep for once and I don't want to wake her…"_

_"Well, if we try really hard…maybe"_, Emma answered, still whispering.

_"Okay."_

* * *

Emma did not know how they had done it, but somehow they had managed to get out.

Without waking Regina.

_"Can we make a fire and heat up water? I brought everything we need. And instant coffee. It's not as good as real coffee…I know that. But it is better than nothing. And mom loves to drink coffee in the morning",_ Henry explained quickly.

The blonde had to smile at the comment,_ "Sure, let's go, get some firewood."_

During their stroll Emma had not been able to keep herself from asking though because her son's statement about Regina not sleeping had her worried,_ "What did you mean by saying that it is good to see her sleep for once?"_

Henry looked at her, obviously not sure if he should tell Emma, but then he decided that it would not hurt – at least not as long as his mother did not find out about it, _"Promise me that you won't tell mom that I told you…"_

Emma nodded in understanding, so he continued, _"I know she isn't sleeping much because I hear her returning to her office almost every night. She goes to bed, but half an hour later she goes back to do some more work. And yet she is always awake before I get up. Some days ago I heard her cry…but I don't know why. She seems so upset and sad sometimes…do you think it's because of me?"_

_"No, kid. It's not because of you. Never think that. Your mom is a strong woman and she has a lot going on. And I guess part of it is my fault. I didn't make her life easy during the last couple of weeks"_, Emma answered honestly and felt guilty instantly.

_"I know. That's why I want you to be better. Both of you. Because you have me and I love you both. I don't want to choose",_ Henry admitted sadly and the blonde realized for the first time how much pain her battle with Regina had caused for their son.

She pulled Henry into her arms, promising him that she would try harder in the future.

* * *

Regina woke up and realized immediately that she was alone.

But then she remembered how she had spent the night. Snuggled up to Emma Swan.

What the hell had Henry gotten her into?

She did not snuggle. Ever.

She was not the person for cuddles or stuff like that.

And yet Regina Mills had to admit that it had felt good, that it had been nice to be protected for once. That somebody had cared about her well being for once.

Even if it had been Emma Swan.

Especially since it had been Emma Swan.

The brunette's thoughts were one big jumble and she did not know where all this weird feelings had come from, so she decided to shove them aside and get up.

When she got out of the tent, the campfire was flickering and it smelled like coffee, which brought a smile to her face.

_"It's just instant coffee, mom…but I hope you'll like it anyway",_ Henry stated proudly and handed her a mug.

_"Thank you, sweetheart"_, Regina bent down to kiss her son on the forehead, then she took a big gulp of the steaming liquid.

To Emma's and Regina's surprise Henry had packed a cake, somehow he had managed to talk Granny into baking one for him, and so they ate breakfast in silence before they started packing.

Henry would have loved to spend the day with his moms in the woods, but he knew they had to get back because of the party with the Charmings.

* * *

It had taken them forever to get back to their cars, Regina had been moody and cursing most of the time, but somehow Emma had managed to calm her down although she did not know how she had done it.

Now that they were standing in front of the vehicles, neither Emma, nor Regina knew what to say, but when the brunette opened the trunk of her car and found the missing parts of the tent she stared her son into the ground, _"Do you want to explain something to me?"_

_"Uhm…well…",_ he searched for Emma's eyes helplessly, who looked quite as irritated as Regina,_ "I…please don't be mad at me. I just wanted us to do something together…I mean…the three of us. Because you need to get along better…you are my mothers. Both of you."_

_"But you didn't know if I would show up…"_ Emma commented in surprise.

_"Yeah, I know. But I counted on it…kind of"_, Henry shrugged.

_"And what would have you done if Miss Swan wouldn't have shown up?"_ the brunette seemed to be furious as hell.

_"I guess I would have allowed you to use your magic…for once"_, he gave her a weak smile and Regina sighed in frustration, _"We'll talk about this later, young man."_

* * *

Emma had taken Henry with her and they had spent an afternoon filled with laughter with Mary Margaret and David and once she had brought her son back to Regina's mansion, the mayor had already waited for them with the cake she had made in their absence.

The blonde had been surprised once more, but had noticed that Regina was waving the white flag – for Henry's sake. And that's why she had accepted the invitation this time and they had spent a lovely evening together.

Wonders did happen after all.

* * *

The next few days Emma had not seen Regina at all, but she had met Henry twice and had enjoyed the time with her son thoroughly.

And her son was so happy that his plan had worked out and that Emma and Regina were both willing to try now.

To try and be some sort of a family.

But then Regina had gotten into a fight with Neal and Mr. Gold's son had to be arrested because he had thrown a vase at the mayor in her office.

He had failed the brunette, but still. And although Emma knew that it was his fault, that he should not have gotten himself that worked up, she secretly blamed Regina too because she knew how provocative Henry's mother could be.

Neal had been released after a night in the cell, but still.

Somehow Emma was disappointed by Regina.

But what had she expected?

Just because the mayor was trying to get along with her, for the sake of their son, did not mean that she would try to be everybody's friend now.

Emma was trying to figure out what to do about everything that was going on during her nightshift at the station that night, but then she was pulled out of her thoughts by the ringing of the phone.

She rolled her eyes, expecting some rather unspectacular incident, but then her face fell.

There had been a murder in Storybrooke.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 5**

When Emma arrived at the crime scene she had a very bad feeling and it became worse with every step she took into the direction of the well.

And then she saw him.

Neal was kind of sitting on the ground, leaning against the well, motionless.

Dr. Whale was kneeling beside him, shaking his head at the sight of the whole in the young man's chest and Emma knew exactly what had happened.

Somebody had stolen Neal's heart.

* * *

Regina was trying her hardest to wash the blood off her hands in her kitchen when she heard the knock on the door.

She cursed, but switched off the water anyway, dried her hands with a kitchen towel and went to answer the door.

When she did a very upset Emma Swan stood on her porch, _"What are you doing here at this late hour, dear?"_

Emma was staring at the brunette's hands, noticing the reddish-brown stains on the mayor's fingers and a realization hit the sheriff.

There had been an argument between Neal and Regina and the mayor had threatened him, had yelled at him that he would regret his actions soon.

And now Neal was dead.

And Regina had blood on her hands.

Putting two and two together Emma's face fell even more.

She had been able to keep herself put together while she had been at the crime scene, but now she felt the anger rising.

Too upset to think straight she grabbed the mayor by the arms, turned her round, put Regina's hands behind her back and closed the handcuffs around the brunette's wrists fiercely.

_"Have you completely lost your mind, Miss Swan?!"_

Regina screamed, trying to get away from the blonde, _"What the hell are you doing?"_

Emma turned the mayor around to face her, _"I'm arresting you."_

_"Arresting me? Don't be ridiculous, dear. What for?"_ Regina barked.

_"I arrest you for killing Neal Cassidy."_

Dry and simple. There was nothing else to say, was there?

_"What?!"_

* * *

Regina was walking up and down in her cell, glaring daggers into Emma's direction, who was sitting at her desk, watching the mayor intensely.

_"Miss Swan, you are out of your mind. I didn't kill anyone, so let me out of here"_, the mayor demanded after a while.

_"Not going to happen, Regina. Neal and you had an argument just the other day and you threatened him. And now he is dead. Somebody ripped his heart out…and we all know you have a little experience in that field. And you still had blood on your hands when I got to your house"_, the blonde stated without looking at the brunette.

_"I already told you…I was at the Town Hall to get some folders I had forgotten and on my way back to my house I ran a cat over, right next to my house. Since it was dead I threw the corpse into the garbage can because I didn't want Henry to see it. That's where the blood came from"_, Regina tried to reason with Emma.

_"And who is going to believe that crappy little story? Tell me, Regina…after everything you've done to people…who is going to believe you?"_ the blonde got up and went over to the cell, looking straight into the mayor's brown eyes, _"Because I for one don't believe you, not even for a second. Everyone knows who you are and what you are capable of, Madame Mayor. Everyone. Nobody is going to believe you."_

* * *

When Ruby had arrived at the station, Emma had told her to watch Regina because she had to check something.

She had returned to the mayor's mansion, but it had started to rain about half an hour ago, so if there had been blood on the street, then it was gone by the time of her arrival.

So Emma had went straight for the Mills' trash cans, opened every single one of them, but she found no cat. Neither dead nor alive.

Of course not.

* * *

She returned to the sheriff station with hanging shoulders and once Ruby had left, Emma went to face Regina once again.

_"Can I go now?"_ the mayor growled.

_"No, you can't. There was no cat in the garbage, but why doesn't that surprise me?"_, the blonde commented without any emotions.

She would not let Regina see how devastated she was, how disappointed. How much she was grieving about Neal's death. None of it was the mayor's business.

_"What?! That's impossible!"_, Regina was furious.

_"You can stop now, Madame Mayor. This time you won't get away. You've lost."_

_"I did not kill Neal Cassady. "_

The brown eyes of the brunette were sparkling out of anger.

_"You know what disappoints me the most, Regina? I thought you really did care about Henry…but now that you have killed his father…you guess Henry will ever forgive you?"_ Emma watched the mayor's face fall as realization hit her, _"That's what I thought."_

* * *

The next morning Henry showed up at the station because he wanted to talk to his mother.

He had spent the night at the Charming's apartment, but he had to know what was going on and although Emma had not been very fond of the idea, she had let him talk to Regina in the end.

_"Mom, is it true that you killed Mr. Gold's son?"_

He looked at Regina expectantly.

_"No, sweetheart. I didn't do that",_ the brunette answered, but she sounded weak.

_"Because if you did that I don't want to live with you anymore",_ Henry answered quickly, _"So I really hope you don't have anything to do with it."_

That said he reached through the stanchions to take his mother's hand, squeezed it quickly, but then he stormed out without another word.

* * *

_"House arrest until the trial starts or the cell…your decision"_, Emma stated coldly.

She could not stand the sight of Regina any longer, that's why Ruby had suggested to "lock" the mayor up in her mansion.

_"That's not acceptable, Miss Swan. I have work to do. And a son, who needs to go to school."_

_"Oh no. Henry will stay with me, just so we are clear. I won't let him stay with you for a minute"_, the blonde corrected Regina immediately, _"So, I take it you are staying then?"_

_"Get me out of here. Now! I'd rather stay in my house than in the same room with you"_, the mayor barked, her eyes much darker than usual.

_"I'll just get an electronic tag. I'll be right back"_, Emma announced before Regina could start arguing with her all over again.

* * *

Once Regina was at home, she had to take a seat on her living room couch.

She was exhausted, shocked even.

Neal Cassady had been murdered and somebody tried to get her locked up for it.

But who?

And who, besides herself, would be capable of cutting somebody's heart out?

Gold maybe, but he would not kill his long lost son, would he?

Worse than all that was that Regina was sure that Henry thought she was guilty.

Charming and his beloved Snow White, better known in Storybrooke as David and Mary Margaret, had done their best to convince Henry how evil she was – that she was sure about.

Did her son know that Neal was his father?

She had not known until Emma had spit it at her last night.

Did Mr. Gold, the famous Rumplestiltskin, know about this?

How was she supposed to get out of this?

Since the curse had been broken and everybody had gotten their memories back, practically everybody in town wanted to see her dead.

And with the murder of Neal Cassady the people of Storybrooke might have found what they had been looking for.

Now they had a reason. Nothing from the past, but something fresh and new.

The only person, who stood between Regina and the mob was the sheriff, but Emma Swan clearly was convinced that she had commited the crime.

And the bare thought of the blonde not believing her was hurting her, especially since Regina had thought that they had started something, that they were going somewhere – together.

For Henry.

Sure, they never would be actual friends because Regina did not do things like that, at all, but Emma and her had found a way to get along, to be the parents Henry deserved.

And now everything would be taken away from her once again.

* * *

_"We have to kill her! After everything that had happened in the past we gave her another chance and look at what happened. Regina is evil and she will never change. She has to die…"_, Dr. Whale yelled, standing in front of the Town Hall, surrounded by almost every single citizen of Storybrooke, _"Locking her away will never solve this problem. She will escape and you all know it."_

_"She has to pay for her sins. It's about time"_, somebody shouted from behind.

_"Let's go, kill her. The Evil Queen must die!"_ was another statement from the back row.

Not even a moment later the angry mob started to move, heading for the Mayor's mansion.

A mob headed by Dr. Whale, David Nolan and Mary Margaret Blanchard.

Tonight they would get rid of their long-time enemy.

Tonight Regina Mills would pay.

She would pay and she would die.

And Mary Margaret thanked God that Emma was at their apartment, watching her son because she did not want her daughter to witness this cruelty.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 6**

_„Kid, I'm sorry, but everything points to your mother."_

_"I know, but…didn't you tell me that you have some sort of…well, a lie detector or something?"_ Henry looked at the blonde expectantly.

_"Yeah, I said that…"_ Emma answered, sounding a little insecure, not sure where this conversation with her son was headed.

_"So, you really think mom did kill Neal?"_ his stare became intense and the blonde had to look away.

_"I don't know, kid. I really don't know. But I understand that you want her to be innocent…"_ Emma answered honestly.

_"And maybe you just want her to be guilty...because…well, because she's supposed to be evil"_, Henry commented with a shrug.

Emma sat there and thought about it for a moment before she finally managed to look at her son again, _"Maybe."_

* * *

When Regina heard the knock on her door she knew that it was time, but since there was nothing left to lose she did not care and she opened the door with her sweetest fake smile, facing the angry mob, _"Can I help you?"_

_"This time you are going to pay, Regina…"_ Dr. Whale growled and not long after that the first fist hit the brunette right in the face.

* * *

Emma was jumping out of her bug and pulled her gun.

Her instincts had not betrayed her.

When she had realized that neither Mary Margaret, nor David had come home Emma had called Ruby, who had not answered her phone. She had not called back either.

And that had been the moment when the blonde had known that something was wrong and she had told Henry to stay at the apartment because she had to check something.

Of course her son had wanted to go with her, but she had explained to him that he had to do what he was told for once, that it was important and in the end he had given up.

And now that she was in front of the mansion she heard a lot of yelling, saw the flickering of brands and Emma knew what was going on – again.

Storming through the crowd she prayed that she would not be too late and then she saw David standing over Regina, who was lying on the porch covered in blood, with a knife in his hands, ready to kill his worst enemy.

_"Stop it, right now! Leave her alone, David…or I will shoot you. And you won't be my father any longer",_ Emma yelled furiously and everybody stopped dead in their tracks.

_"Sheriff Swan, you don't have anything to do with this"_, Dr. Whale barked,_ "Just go, we'll take care of her."_

_"If you…all of you...aren't gone in a minute…I will have everyone arrested. I swear I will find a way to lock every single one of you up. Everybody hates her for what she did, but look at you. Here you are, wanting nothing, but her death. You are not better than her…none of you."_

Emma was looking around, making sure that everyone got that she was serious and then she faced Mary Margaret, _"I'm disappointed by everyone, who is standing here tonight…but most of all I am disappointed by you."_

_"Emma…"_

_"I don't want to hear anything from you right now…just leave",_ the blonde growled, already kneeling next to Regina, who was in a really bad shape.

_"Regina, I need to get you inside, okay? Can you put your arm around my neck?"_ Emma's voice was soft now.

She could not believe what the citizens of Storybrooke had done to the brunette. What her own parents, who were all about love and forgiveness, had done to the mayor.

While the rest of the citizens were leaving, Ruby came running, _"Emma! Oh my God, what happened? Somebody locked me up at the diner…I…what do you want me to do?"_

_"Go to my apartment, pick up Henry and take him with you, can you promise me that? No matter what Mary Margaret or David will tell you…take him with you. Can you do that for me?"_

_"Of course. I'll text you as soon as we are at my place. What about Regina?"_

_"I'll take care of her."_

* * *

Emma had carried Regina inside and had put her onto the living room couch.

The brunette had groaned in pain and Emma had felt so unbelievably guilty. She should have known better, she should have known what the people of Storybrooke would do.

_"I would take you to the hospital, but I'm afraid they wouldn't treat you well_", the blonde whispered,_ "I'll get some stuff to cover your wounds…I'll be right back, okay?"_

All she got in return was a weak nod.

She headed into the kitchen to get a bowl with warm water and there she found it.

A kitchen towel with reddish-brown stains.

Could it possibly be the one Regina had dried her hands with the other day?

Emma knew that this was the chance to bring some light into the darkness. She would have it analyzed first thing in the morning.

* * *

It had taken Emma a while to clean and cover all of Regina's cuts and scratches, to put cooling gel on the bruises all over the mayor's upper body.

She had expected Regina to argue when she had taken the brunette's shirt off, but Regina obviously had been too weak and in too much pain to do so.

Emma had saved the mayor's face until the end, but now she had no more excuses and the blonde knew it,_ "Do you feel up to sitting up for a few minutes?"_

A simple nod was the answer and so she helped Regina to move into a sitting position, knowing full-well that now she had to face the brunette.

Not only her body, not only her face, but Regina's eyes.

It took her a while to take the sight in front of her in.

The brunette's right eye was bruised and swollen, so was her lower lip and she had a wound right above her left eyebrow and yet, although Regina was so weak, her eyes drew the picture of a fighter, of a survivor.

_"I'm so sorry, Regina",_ the blonde's voice was barely a whisper.

_"Don't be. It's not your fault, dear."_

_"It is. I should have known that they would do that."_

_"You saved my life. Again",_ the brunette tried to smile, but failed.

Emma nodded and smiled sadly, watching the mayor closely.

And she realized that Regina Mills indeed was a beautiful woman, even now that she was looking like a truck had ran her over.

She was graceful and strong, independent and…and beautiful.

It was hard for Emma to admit that because she had spent so much time on finding the brunette's weaknesses, to beat her, but right now she was not sure if there really was something, that would bring Regina down.

* * *

When Emma finally was done with covering all of the brunette's wounds she sighed heavily, but then she handed Regina the pain pills she had discovered in the bathroom earlier, together with a glass of water, _"You might want to take these."_

The mayor nodded and reached for the glass, touching Emma's fingers by doing so and the two women looked straight into the eyes of one another.

And for one quick moment the whole chaos, that surrounded them since Emma's arrival in Storybrooke, was forgotten.

Nothing was relevant, neither the bruises, nor the pain. The blonde's worries and doubts had been blown away, right with Regina's anger and hunger for revenge.

For one quick moment Emma and Regina were united.

They simply were two women, who tried their best to raise a kid, two women, who secretly cared about each other.

The spell was broken when the brunette finally pulled the glass to her lips, when the touch of their hands was lost, but it left both women irritated about what they had been feeling only a second ago.

* * *

Emma had carried Regina up the stairs and into her bedroom, had told her that the mayor should call for her if she needed something, that she would be right down in the living room.

The brunette had told her that she could leave, but the blonde had not accepted that because the sheriff was too worried that some of the mob people would return.

_"No way I'm leaving. I won't let them hurt you again. Enough is enough and this time they have crossed the line. Good night, Regina. Try to get some rest. I'll keep you safe."_

_"I know"._

* * *

When Emma woke up she smelled coffee, which caused her to jump up immediately.

The sun had not even started to rise yet, which confused her even more.

What was that supposed to mean?

_"Regina?"_ she headed for the kitchen quickly, where she found the brunette, who was packing some food, _"What are you doing? You should be in bed, resting."_

_"Good morning, dear. Sit down, we need to talk."_

The blonde did as she was told, waiting for Regina to explain what was going on.

* * *

_"And that's why I'm asking you to put the electronic tag off of my ankle"_, the mayor finished her explanation.

Emma sat there, glaring at Regina in disbelief. She could not be for real, could she?

_"With all due respect, Madame Mayor, but I can't let you leave. And what about Henry?"_

_"He will be better off without me and we both know it. He will never love me the way he loves you, no matter what I do, no matter how hard I try. He will never choose me. Nobody will ever choose me. I'm broken, I'm evil. Even the child I raised thinks that. I'm The Evil Queen and that will never change. Not even if I would change. I will never get the benefit of the doubt, at least not here. Not in Storybrooke. Last night's events have proven that, Sheriff"_, the brunette stated matter-of-factly, _"I did not kill Neal Cassady. I know you don't believe me, but I didn't do that. I've done a lot of terrible things in the past, but this time…for once…I am not guilty. So please, let me go."_

_"Well, let's say I do let you leave…you can't go out of town…"_ Emma answered quickly.

_"In fact I do. I made a deal with Rumplestiltskin a while ago…and he gave me a potion that allows me to…to get out of here."_

_"What did he get in return?"_ the blonde was highly alerted.

_"If I cross the line, the town boundary…I will lose my powers…"_, Regina explained.

_"And he will get them…that sneaky little weasel"_, Emma finished the brunette's sentence, _"When will you come back?"_

_"I will come back if you can prove my innocence, Miss Swan."_

_"And what if…what if I fail?"_ the blonde was not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

_"Then I will never come back."_

* * *

Emma stood there and watched Regina's car cross the city boundary and did not move until the black vehicle was out of sight.

In her hand she held the envelope the brunette had given her.

The envelope she had promised to give to Henry.

* * *

After she had stopped at the hospital to get the kitchen towel from the mansion analyzed, Emma drove straight to Granny's Bed & Breakfast, where Henry was already waiting for her return.

Ruby had told Emma that they had prepared a room for them in case she did not want to return to the Charmings yet and the blonde had accepted immediately.

Once Emma and Henry were alone in their new "home", she handed him the letter from his mother and he looked at her, wide-eyed and utterly confused, _"Can you read it to me?"_

Emma nodded weakly and took a seat on the bed, right next to her son.

How would Henry react?

She was scared and she felt horrible, she was confused and more than that – shocked.

If Regina's decision affected her like that, how much would it hurt their son?

Opening the envelope with shaking hands, Emma realized how empty and lost she felt and she hugged her son tightly. She needed something to hold on to.

But then she cleared her throat, took the paper and started to read:

_'Dear Henry,_

_by the time you read this I am gone._

_I am sorry that I did not say Good bye, but I have no choice._

_I need to leave to protect you, to keep you safe._

_Please know that none of this is your fault. I have made so many mistakes in my life, but this time I am trying to do the right thing. For you._

_I did not kill Neal Cassady. This time I am not guilty, I want you to know that._

_Unfortunately I have made a lot of wrong choices in my life and that is backfiring at me now, but there is nobody else to blame than myself._

_Emma will take good care of you, I know that. Because she loves you very much._

_I have tried to change, to be better – for you. I am so sorry that I have failed you. I am sorry that I could not be the mother you wanted, the one you deserve._

_But Henry, no matter what you think, no matter what anyone tells you._

_I do love you._

_Regina'_

For a few moments there was nothing, but silence.

But then Henry threw himself into Emma's arms and started to cry, _"Is she really gone?"_

_"Yes, she is."_

And then Emma's tears started to fall as well.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 7**

Emma was sitting at her desk at the station, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She was exhausted, emotionally drained and worried sick.

Worried about her son, but also worried about Regina. And she did not even know why.

They had never really gotten along.

Well, after their bad start that had not been much of a surprise, but still.

Everything with Regina seemed to be complicated and difficult, tense and nerve wrecking.

All their arguments had driven Emma crazy, not to forget about the fact that the mayor of Storybrooke had a long history of violence and crime since she used to be The Evil Queen.

And yet Emma Swan did care.

Not only because the brunette had been beaten down badly, but because Regina had tried lately.

Really tried. To be better for her son.

_"How's Henry? Is he okay?"_

Ruby's voice had the sheriff out of her thoughts immediately.

_"He's trying to be strong, but I know he is hurting…'cause no matter what Regina has done in the past, she is still his mother. She raised him and he loves her…"_ the blonde answered and sighed heavily.

_"I can't believe that she really left"_, the deputy stated and let herself fall into a chair, facing Emma.

_"Me neither."_

Before Emma's thoughts could drift off once again, the phone rang and when she hung up about two minutes later she looked right into the worried face of her deputy.

_"That was the hospital. The results of the kitchen towel have proven that the blood was not human. It is the blood of a cat."_

_"You know what that means? Regina told the truth"_, Ruby stated matter-of-factly.

_"Well, she still could have killed Neal…"_ the blonde's mind was one big jumble.

_"Emma, do you think Regina is guilty?"_

_"To be honest…no. I don't think she's done it",_ the sheriff answered in a serious tone.

_"Good. Because I don't think she has done it either"_, Ruby admitted.

_"So, what are we going to do? We need to prove it"_, Emma sounded desperate.

_"We'll follow the leads…and our instincts."_

* * *

Emma had decided to pick Henry up from school and once she saw him coming out of the building, looking so unbelievably sad, her heart broke even more.

But when Emma saw Mary Margaret coming into her direction she told her son to go and sit in the car, that she had to take care of something.

Henry had looked confused, but had done as he was told anyway.

_"Emma, we need to talk…"_

_"Really? About what?"_ the blonde turned round to face her mother, her eyes sparkling furiously.

_"Things have gotten completely out of control yesterday and I know there is no excuse for it, but you have to understand…"_ Mary Margaret started, but was cut off by her daughter eventually.

_"No, you have to understand that what you did is all kinds of wrong. I've been stupid enough to listen to you…because you are self-righteous and blind. Just so you know…there is a fair chance that Regina is innocent…at least this time…and that is what makes everything even worse"_, the blonde yelled.

_"What are you trying to say? Regina didn't kill Neal?"_ Mary Margaret did not understand. It simply did not make any sense.

_"Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying. And I will prove it"_, Emma stood there, hands on her hips, watching her mother's face fall.

_"That's…I'm sorry. Everybody assumed…is she okay?"_

_"She's gone. She left town in the early morning."_

_"What?"_ Mary Margaret could not believe it. Emma had to be joking. Regina would never...

_"You have no idea what you have done. Or how much you have hurt Henry, YOUR grandson. His mother left town to protect him. She left him because nobody gave her a chance."_

* * *

Emma and Henry drove over to the mansion to get some of his stuff because he had not been able to pack anything the other day.

The blonde sat on the bed of her son, watching him gather his belongings, wondering where the mayor might be.

Being in Regina's house in her absence simply felt all kinds of wrong and Emma was confused by her own feelings.

For a long time she would have done practically everything to make the brunette disappear and now that Regina indeed was gone she wanted her to come back.

* * *

Granny had been waiting for them once they had made it back to the small hotel and had suggested that she would bake cookies with Henry.

Emma was glad that somebody would take care of her son because she had to leave in order to follow her instincts.

Once she arrived at Mr. Gold's shop Emma hesitated. She felt bad about bothering the old man in this time of grieve, but she had to talk to him – for Henry's sake.

She found him standing in his shop, seemingly lost, so she cleared her throat to make her presence felt, _"Mister Gold, do you have a minute?"_

_"Of course, dearie. What can I do for you?"_

_"Any chance you know something about a dead cat in front of the mayor's house?"_ Emma looked at him expectantly.

_"I beg your pardon?"_ he looked at her in confusion.

_"Listen, Mister Gold. Everybody's competence to judge here in Storybrooke has been affected by the death of Neal Cassady…"_, she started to explain.

_"He was my son! My son…"_ Mr. Gold was close to tears, _"I've just got him back…why did she do that?"_

_"That's the point. Regina might not be the one who killed your son"_, Emma commented quickly.

_"Of course it's been her. Who else would…"_

_"That's what I'm trying to find out, Mister Gold. I know you are mourning and I bet you want revenge, but maybe you are blinded by that at the moment. So I'm asking you again…do you know something about that cat the mayor ran over that night?"_ the blonde watched him closely to make sure he took her serious.

_"No, I don't."_

He stared right into Emma's eyes for a moment, but then he turned round and faced the wall.

_"That is too bad. Because for one…I want to catch the real killer and second…you and I…we both know…if Regina Mills didn't kill your son…Storybrooke might have a bigger problem than we all think…",_ Emma announced in a very serious tone, _"Anyway…I gotta go. You know where you'll find me…just in case. Good bye, Mister Gold."_

* * *

Emma stood there, leaning against the doorframe of Granny's kitchen and watched the old woman and Henry interact.

Her son had not noticed that she was back yet and she felt quite comfortable by smply watching him for a few minutes.

It calmed her down, gave her a little peace during this difficult time.

Neal's death had upset her so much and she never had found time to get over that. But now that Regina had left as well she felt even worse.

Granny was standing in front of the oven, obviously waiting for the cookies to be ready, when Henry started to cry and the old woman knelt down beside him immediately, _"What's wrong, sweetheart?"_

_"N-nothing…it's just…mom a-and I…we…we used to back cookies together at…times…",_ he sobbed, _"I…I just…can't believe she is…that she left…"_

_"We'll bring her back."_

With that Emma entered the kitchen and pulled her son close. She realized, more than ever, that Henry needed both his mothers.

She had to find the real killer, she had to prove Regina's innocence. She just did not know how.

* * *

Ruby had agreed to stay with Henry during the night, because Emma had to work a nightshift at the station.

Now that the blonde was sitting at her desk, studying files, she regretted that she had not stayed with her son. Henry needed her and she was aware of that.

And yet she was driven by the urge to find Neal's murderer, to prove Regina's innocence.

To bring the brunette back to Storybrooke.

For Henry.

_"Miss Swan…"_

The sound of Mr. Gold's voice made her jump. She had not realized his presence and she wondered how he had gotten inside since she was pretty sure that she had locked the door after she had entered the station.

_"Mister Gold…what are you doing here at this late hour?"_ she took a look at the clock, just to find out that it was way past midnight.

_"I thought about the conversation we had earlier…"_ he explained quickly.

_"Is there anything you want to tell me?"_ Emma stood up and started to drum on the desk with the fingers of her right hand.

_"I've taken the dead cat out of Miss Mills garbage. That night…when you arrested her…I was here…right outside the station. The window was open…"_ the old man started his explanation.

_"And you heard her tell me about the cat"_, the blonde concluded from what Mr. Gold had already told her.

_"Yes. I was so sure that she had killed Bael…I still am. And I knew that she would get away with that story if you'd found the cat. So I took it out of the trash can…her story seemed to be so unlikely and I knew if you wouldn't find that cat, you would lock her up"_, Mr. Gold admitted, _"But if you are right…and she has not killed my son…"_

_"She is not guilty, Mr. Gold, believe me. Where is that cat?"_ Emma demanded to know.

_"I threw it into the trash bin at the backside of my shop."_

_"Fine. Let's go then."_

* * *

They had driven over to Gold's pawnshop in silence, but now that they were standing in front of the three black trash bins Emma felt slightly nervous, _"Which one?"_

_"The left one."_

Emma took a deep breath and opened the bin, staring inside for a minute, _"Are you kidding me?! There is no cat."_

_"That's impossible"_, Mr. Gold stated in disbelief.

He took a look as well, but there was no corpse of a cat.

The sheriff took a look into the other trash bins too, but nothing.

All the garbage was still there, the bin had not been emptied, but the cat was gone.

How was that possible?

_"I don't understand"_, the old man, who was leaning on his cane, whispered.

_"Are you serious? Don't tell me you don't know what's going on. You are the one, who can tell the future…you are…",_ but when Emma saw the look on Gold's face her own fell, _"You really have no idea?"_

_"The cat was in there. I threw it into that bin myself!"_

_"Okay…that can't be a coincidence. And I bet it doesn't mean anything good…"_

Emma sighed heavily, trying to stay calm.

_"I'm afraid you are right, dearie."_

_"Mister Gold, we need to figure out what is going on before the apocalypse or whatever hits Storybrooke…even I can smell the magic here…"_

_"I agree. But you have to promise me something, Miss Swan. Once we've found the murderer of my son, you have to leave them to me"_, the old man demanded.

_"We could make a deal…what do you say?"_ the challenging tone in Emma's voice was unmistakable.

_"A deal? What do you want?"_ he smiled sheepishly.

_"Regina's powers. I want them."_

She looked straight into Gold's eyes to make sure that she was not playing games, that this was no joke. Not at all.

_"You want the evil queen's powers…why is that, dearie? You've gotten ambitious?"_

_"Not at all. I want to give them back to her when she returns. Nobody is strong enough to hold them…not even her. But somehow…well, they belong to her"_, Emma tried to explain.

_"Why are you so sure that she comes back? And why do you care?"_

Mr. Gold watched the sheriff intensely.

_"Do we have a deal…or not?"_

Emma's voice was just a growl. She would not answer Gold's question. She was not even sure if she would be able to answer it or how.

_"Oh, we have a deal, dearie. We have a deal."_

He laughed excitedly and Emma started to wonder if she had made the right one.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Hello everybody!_

_I just wanted to say thanks for everybody, who takes time to read "The Beauty of the Beast" and especially to everyone, who takes time to write a review too. It's really appreciated and makes me happy._

_So, THANK YOU!_

_You rock, all of you._

_Much love, raven_

* * *

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 8**

The news of Regina's disappearance had spread like a wildfire.

Emma and Ruby had agreed to set up a town meeting in the evening before Storybrooke would be taken over by anarchy.

Now that the sheriff and her deputy were standing in the city hall, waiting for everyone to get seated, Emma started to doubt that the meeting had been a good idea.

Most of the citizens seemed to be fussing and utterly nervous and the blonde was aware that this whole thing could easily blow up.

But then Ruby told her that it was time and Emma took her place at the speaker's desk, _"My I have your attention please…"_

* * *

There had been a lot of yelling and arguing, countless people had said that they should vote a new mayor, but that thought had been unbearable for Emma.

It would be like replacing the brunette, it felt like nobody believed in Regina's return.

But she did.

And that had been the moment when Emma Swan had told them off. She had told the citizens of Storybrooke off.

All of them.

She had explained to them, that after the recent events and the attack of the mayor, nobody in this town was qualified to be mayor, to have that much responsibility.

She also had explained to the people of Storybrooke that Ruby and her would take care of everything until Regina would come back.

Because Emma had realized that the town needed Regina as much as Regina needed Storybrooke.

It took a lot of strength and self discipline to be the mayor, it took somebody with an iron will, somebody, who did not care if they were loved or hated by the town citizens.

And Regina Mills clearly was that person.

Some people had tried to argue about the sheriff's decision, but Emma had made her point unmistakably clear and that's why most citizens had stormed out of the city hall with furious expressions on their faces.

_"You've done the right thing"_, Ruby announced quickly, putting her hand on Emma's shoulder to show her support.

_"Really? Because I'm pretty sure almost everybody in town hates me right now"_, the blonde replied, a frustrated sigh escaping her lips.

_"Well…now we'll get to see Storybrooke from a different perspective. Through Regina's eyes."_

* * *

Emma and Henry had a long conversation that night because the blonde had tried to explain to her son that there would be a lot of changes ahead of them during Regina's absence.

_"So, now you will work yourself to death as well…like mom always did"_, Henry sounded sad and worried.

_"It's not forever. We'll prove your mom's innocence…she'll be back in no time"_, Emma tried to cheer him up.

_"But how? You said there is no evidence…you couldn't even find the cat"_, her son seemed to be desperate.

_"Mr. Gold is going to help me find whoever killed his son."_

_"But he thinks mom did it!"_ Henry got even more upset and Emma had to swallow hard because she knew that Mr. Gold still was not convinced that somebody else than Regina had killed Neal.

And she knew that she had taken a great risk by making this deal with the old man and that it could backfire easily, but she would not tell Henry about that because her son was worried enough.

_"Things are going to be okay, kid. I promise"_, Emma pulled Henry into her arms and held him close.

Things had to work out and Regina had to come back.

* * *

Emma had spent the whole next day stuying the reports in the mayor's office and had become more and more frustrated.

How did Regina do that?

Get back to that office every day, trying to make things better.

Practically everybody in Storybrooke was complaining about something, wanted something and the phone had kept ringing all day.

Ruby had joined her in the late afternoon, but they had not managed to finishe everything that day.

By the time Emma and her deputy had left the mayor's office it was almost midnight and the blonde stared at the clock in disbelief.

She felt sorry for Henry and she felt sorry for Regina as well.

Because now she knew exactly how the brunette must have been feeling pretty much every day.

* * *

She was on her way to the parking lot, when Emma Swan caught sight of Mr. Gold, who was standing right next to her vehicle, obviously waiting for her.

_"What are you doing here, Mr. Gold?"_

_"I've come to show you something, dearie…"_ he announced quickly and pulled two phials out of his pocket, handing one of them to Emma.

The blonde took a closer look at it by holding it against the light of the street lamp and realized that the phial was filled with pink and purple dust, that moved inside the small vial. And she thought there even might be a hint of moss-green,_ "What the hell is that?"_

_"Slow down for a second, dearie. Now look at this…"_ he held out the other phial and Emma could see that there was a very small amount of black dust inside, with a hint of red.

_"I don't understand. If you have something to say…spit it. I'm tired and I have a kid to go home to"_, Emma sounded slightly annoyed.

_"The vial in your hand…it holds Regina's powers"_, Gold grinned sheepishly at the sight of Emma's widening eyes.

_"You mean that's it? If I would open this little glass thing hell would break lose?"_ the blonde simply could not believe it.

_"Well…if you open it, dearie…the powers of The Evil Queen will cover the next thing human and capture it. So you better be careful…except..."_, Gold's grinning became quite scary.

_"Stop it. I already told you my only intention is to give them back to Regina…so what's the black stuff in the vial?"_

_"That, dearie…is the hint you were looking for. I found that in the mayor's garbage bin. In the one where the cat had been in",_ the old man with the cane explained proudly.

_"They don't match. They have different colors…does that mean…"_ Emma started, but was cut off immediately.

_"It doesn't mean anything, dearie…but it is a start. Maybe it will lead you to proving Miss Mills innocence. Or maybe you will find out that she has something to do with it though"_, Mr. Gold stated and looked Emma straight in the eye.

_"What is it that you are not telling me, old man?"_

_"Nothing, dearie. Nothing. Just remember that…once you find whoever killed my son…they are mine…we made a deal."_

And with that the old man left.

Emma stood there dumbstruck, still holding the phial, that contained Regina's magic, in her right hand.

She knew that Gold was hiding something from her, she just did not know what it could be.

Was it possible that Regina had something to do with the murder of Neal after all?

The blonde was praying that the brunette had told her the whole truth because otherwise she would have sealed Regina's destiny by making that deal with Rumplestiltskin.

She would have a lot of research to do the next day, but first she had to go and check on her son.

And she had to find a place where she could hide the vial.

* * *

Emma was sitting in the mayor's office the next day when a knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts and she almost jumped out of the chair she was sitting in,_ "What is it?"_

_"Can I come in?"_

Mary Margaret peeked into the room carefully.

_"You have two minutes"_, the blonde growled in reply.

_"Emma, I'm really sorry. We shouldn't have done what we did…but when Neal was found dead…his heart ripped out. Well, we all got a little carried away."_

_"A little? You've been there. You've seen Regina. She looked like a truck had ran her over. Twice."_

_"I know"_, Mary Margaret dropped her head in shame.

_"Henry is so sad, he is crying his eyes out every day. And I have loads of work to do because somebody has to do it…since you have driven his mother, the mayor, away"_, Emma was furious, _"You keep telling me that family is the most important thing…I wasted so much time on protecting Henry from Regina…when I should have protected him from you."_

_"Emma, I never meant to hurt Henry. I never meant to hurt anyone…"_

_"Right…because you are all innocent Snow White…who couldn't even kill a fly, right?"_ the blonde looked at her mother provokingly.

_"Can't you understand that everybody hates Regina? That everybody wants her dead because of what she did?"_ Mary Margaret commented quickly.

_"No. To be honest…I can't. Because I have not been there. Regina and I…we don't have much of a history. Everything I know…I know because of you and everyone else, who told me stories. I don't say she is all innocent because she has done some really terrible things...and sure, she has made my life pretty difficult at times…but the longer I think about it…if I would have been in her position…I don't know what I would have done. She didn't want to lose her son…because she loves Henry. You know she does. And who can blame a mother for wanting to keep the one thing she loves…her child."_

* * *

Emma had made it back to Granny's Bed & Breakfast in time for dinner and Henry had been more than excited to see his mother.

The blonde was relieved because her son seemed to be doing a bit better and that's why she had told him that she maybe had found something that would help her prove Regina's innocence.

Henry was overjoyed to hear that and hugged her tight and for the first time since the mayor's disappearance Emma was sure that she was doing the right thing.

_"Do you know if your mom has some old books…about magic or something? Because I really need to do some research"_, Emma asked carefully.

_"Maybe, I'm not sure. They have to be in her study…in case there are any"_, Henry explained quickly, handing the blonde his house key, _"Get going then. I'll get ready for bed in the meantime."_

* * *

Standing in the mansion all by herself felt all kinds of wrong.

Sitting in the mayor's office did not make her feel comfortable either, but she had to focus on getting her work done there, so she did not have much time to think about it.

But being here, in Regina's house, without the brunette made Emma feel lost, although she did not even know herself why she felt that way.

She headed straight for the study because Henry was waiting for her to tuck him in, but the second she opened the door Emma smelled the mayor's perfume, smelled the unique scent that was absolutely Regina and her thoughts drifted off once again.

Emma remembered the few times she had been in this room before.

The brunette and her had been arguing every time, but right now Emma would love to argue with the mayor. Everything would be better than Regina being gone.

Her eyes caught a picture on the desk, a picture of Henry and his mom and Emma's heart became even heavier.

Regina had to come back.

She had to come back soon.

* * *

When Emma left the mansion she was more frustrated than ever.

If there were some spell books or anything else in Regina's possession, the brunette clearly had them taken with her.

She needed information about magic, but where should she find it?

_Damn you, Regina Mills. __You should have stayed. You should be here and help me save your ass!_

But then her cell phone rang and the second Emma glimpsed at the display and saw Ruby's number she knew that something had to be wrong, _"What is it?"_

_"It's Henry. He's gone."_


	9. Chapter 9

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 9**

_"What?!"_

Countless thoughts and tons of different horror scenarios where running through Emma's head, her heart started to beat out of her chest.

This could not be true.

First Regina, now Henry.

No, no, no.

_"Meet me at the station. I'll go and get David and Mary Margaret. We need to find him."_

* * *

_"Are you sure that Regina isn't back? Maybe she has taken Henry…_" David asked the question nobody else had dared to ask.

_"Shut up, will you? Nobody cares about your opinion…"_ Emma barked at her father, _"Ruby, take him and get out of my sight…before I arrest him."_

_"Emma, he didn't mean to…it's just..we are all worried about Henry",_ Mary Margaret tried to calm the blonde down, but did not really succeed.

_"Whatever…let's go. We're checking the woods."_

* * *

The sun was already rising when Emma and Mary Margaret finally found Henry not far from the well – unconscious and bleeding from a wound on his left temple.

The blonde was crying out of relief, but was worried at the same time because her son did not wake up.

Mary Margaret had called Ruby to pick them up immediately and the deputy had told them she would be there in a few minutes.

_"What was he doing out here in the middle of the night all by himself?"_ Emma looked at her mother in disbelief, _"I don't get it. What was he thinking?"_

_"I wish I knew. He will tell you once he wakes up. First we need to bring him to the hospital though because I think he needs stitches…seems like he hit his head pretty hard"_, Mary Margaret commented and stroked over Emma's head carefully, _"He will be okay."_

* * *

Five stitches and a light cerebral concussion was Dr. Whale's final diagnosis for her son and Emma was relieved that Henry would be fine in no time.

It had taken a few hours until he had woken up tough, the blonde never leaving his side.

And while she had been sitting right next to his bed, holding his small hand, Emma Swan had realized once more how terrible Regina must have felt once she had shown up in town.

How scared the brunette must have been. Scared to lose her son.

Once Henry opened his eyes Emma's dark thoughts disappeared in an instant, together with the feeling of guilt and she started to smile, "Hey kid. Are you okay?"

_"My head hurts"_, he answered weakly.

_"It will hurt for a while because you got stitches. And you have a concussion"_, the blonde explained quickly, taking a seat on the bed, _"Do you remember what happened?"_

_"There was a cat."_

_"A cat?"_ Emma looked at her son in disbelief.

_"Yeah. A black cat with red eyes. I saw it because I heard a strange noise and that's why I looked out of the window"_, Henry started his explanation, _"I had to follow it…I wanted to catch it…because no cat has red eyes, right? I bet it is the cat…the one mom…I had to catch it…but I tripped over a tree root or something…and hit my head…that's all…all I remember."_

_"It's okay, kid. I promise you I'll find that cat."_

A black cat with red eyes…black dust with the hint of red.

What was that supposed to mean?

She had to talk to Gold once again. He had to tell Emma what he had been hiding from her before.

* * *

Of course the old man had not told her a thing.

That sneaky little weasel.

Emma was so sure that he would be able to bring some light into the darkness, but obviously Gold did not see the necessity to do so.

Who else could possibly know something about magic and spells? About the powerful stuff of course, because the blonde was sure that, whatever was going on in Storybrooke, was absolutely serious and not done by some child, who had accidently screwed up a spell by practising magic.

So, who would be able to help her?

Regina.

Regina would know what to do, but of course the brunette had left town.

And while Emma understood why the mayor had done it, she cursed her for leaving none-the-less.

* * *

Henry was released from the hospital after three days and Emma had taken a day off to be there for her son.

Ruby would take care of everything in the meantime or at least she would try to.

Sitting in their room at Granny's small hotel, Emma was lost in thought once again and so was her son.

But it was Henry, who broke the silence in the end, _"You know…I…I am sorry…I feel guilty…"_

Emma had no idea what her son was trying to tell her and the expression on her face must have shown just that because the boy kept explaining right away.

_"It's my fault…I brought you here because I was so caught up in that book…and I saw everything in black and white. Don't get me wrong…I'm so happy that I have found you because you are my mom too…but mom…well, I couldn't see her anymore. All I saw was The Evil Queen. I didn't understand back then that there is more than black and white. But there's a whole lot of grey, isn't it? I mean…what she did…in the past…was horrible. But she is not all bad and evil…I see that now. Mom just isn't good at loving people…maybe because of her own mother…and she has gotten a completely wrong idea about love…but she did care about me. All the time…she was there…whenever I was sick or fell and grazed my knee or something…she always took care of me"_, Henry looked at Emma and tears started to form in his eyes, _"I never thought I could like her…after I found out who she was…but the truth is…I miss her…and I love her….I want her to come back. I want us to be a family…because you are my mom too. And we can do that…if we all try harder…"_

That said he threw himself into the blonde's arms and cried bitterly and Emma's heart broke once more.

For her son, but also for Regina.

And she knew that Henry was right.

The brunette had to come back because he needed them both and once Regina would return they indeed to try harder.

A lot harder.

But the blonde had also become aware of the fact that her son needed all the support and all the family he could get during this difficult time and that's why she had called Mary Margaret in the end.

They would move back into the apartment of the Charmings in the the morning.

* * *

Emma had talked to David and Mary Margaret while Henry had been at school and she had told her parents that she did not want to hear them talk badly about Regina anymore.

Especially not in front of Henry, especially not since the brunette was not even here to defend herself.

And the blonde had explained to them, that while she understood why they couldn't let go of the grudge they were holding against Regina, that things had to change for Henry's sake.

Because hate would cause only more hate, hate would never make anything better – for none of them.

* * *

Another two days went by and nothing happened. Nothing at all.

But that night Emma received a phone call from Mister Gold, who told her to come to his pawnshop immediately.

Rushing over there the sheriff thought about all the possible reasons for his call and she hoped that he would finally be willing to help her.

She would not be able to do this alone, she kind of depended on the old man , whether she liked it or not.

Once she entered the shop and found him leaning against the wall, obviously more than just a little upset, Emma knew it was bad, _"What's going on?"_

_"Did you hide the vial I gave you? I mean…did you hide it well…"_

_"I did. I put it…"_

But before the blonde could continue he stopped her, _"No. Don't tell me. Don't even think about it. It's not safe."_

Now Emma really started to worry, _"It's not safe? What the hell is going on, Gold. Tell me!"_

She was close to freaking out. That old man had played "Hide and seek" with her long enough, _"Tell me what you know or I'll leave."_

_"Somebody stole my dagger. The dagger of the Dark One. Well, not somebody…it has begun, dearie…the evil is rising"_, Gold snickered creepily, sounding as if he would lose his mind.

_"Tell me what you know, old man. Spit it out!"_, Emma grabbed him by his coat and pushed him more into the wall, _"Who is behind all of this…"_

_"Nobody else, but Regina's mother…Cora…somehow she has found a way to get here…and now that she has the dagger…her hunger for power is worse than Regina's. It is even worse than mine, dearie"_ Mr. Gold announced without trying to get away.

_"What? Are you joking?"_ the blonde could not believe it. If Cora was behind everything…

Was it possible that Regina was in it as well?

_"I know what you are thinking, dearie…our lovely mayor has tricked you...but you made a deal…so don't worry about it"_, he started to laugh excitedly.

"You won't harm her, you hear me! Regina has nothing to do with this…"

But Emma knew that chances were high that she was wrong. That she had been wrong all the time. And that Regina indeed had played her.

_"That's not in your hands anymore, dearie. You made a deal…and you are not going to break it."_

_"Well, I could have Cora kill you…because otherwise she won't get your powers. I don't think she will be satisfied by commanding you around. I bet she wants it all to herself"_, Emma concluded quickly, _"Tell me, Mister Gold…when did Regina come to you…seeking for a way to leave Storybrooke?"_

_"Well, dearie…that was not long after the curse was broken."_

And then it hit Emma. Now everything made sense, _"Of course. She didn't want to lose Henry. She would have taken him with her and since I had gotten my powers…I wouldn't have been able to follow them. Cora must have found out…and that's why all this happened…Regina had to leave because then her powers would go to you…and if she kills you…and gets the powers of the Dark One…and she'll get Regina's powers too…who would be able to stop her then?"_

_"Dearie…dearie…you're surprising me",_ Gold smiled sheepishly, still pinned against the wall by the sheriff,_ "But maybe you are right...or maybe they made this evil plan together…'cause if Cora succeeds she could easily share everything with her daughter. And then you wouldn't be able to stop either one of them…and she could take your son…"_

_"We have to stop Cora…she can't win. You need to help me"_, Emma did not want to think about the option of Regina being part of that evil plot, _"We need to stop her."_

_"Of course, dearie…of course. There might be a way…but first of all…let me go…"_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Hello everyone!_

_I'm here with Chapter 10 of "The Beauty of the Beast" tonight. It's close to 4 am in the morning here in Germany, but since I started writing this story I haven't managed to go to bed earlier._

_I'm a little proud that I managed to update 10 days in a row because it's not always easy with real life and everything, but whatever. I did it. And I'll keep doing just that. Updating on a daily basis I mean. At least I try to._

_I like to look at this Chapter as the first milestone in a long story...because honestly...I don't know where this is going or how many chapters this story will have in the end. All I can say is that it won't be over anytime soon._

_I want to say 'THANK YOU' again...for the reviews, to all the readers._

_And to all the Evil Regals and SwanQueen shippers out there - who have shown me nothing, but love since day 1._

_I'm overwhelmed. I really am._

_I also want to take this as a chance to say 'thanks' to my lovely friend __**MG (as in **_**MarlboroGirl1) **_although she keeps me from writing quite often - by posting all of these distracting SwanQueen pics, but I couldn't possibly blame her for that. She simply is such a great soul and I'm glad that I know her. Life wouldn't be the same without her._

_And 'thanks' to my sweet friend _**Agata****_ - _**_I already told you I'm writing this story for her. She's the cutest and I'm glad she brought me here and made me watch "Once upon a time" in the first place._

_And 'Thanks' to my amazing friend __**Fran**__, who helped me out with a lot of information...and helped me understand the concept of OUAT and SwanQueen stuff, when I had not the slightest idea. Thanks to her patience I'm here today. As I said...amazing friend :)_

_Enough of my rambling...here comes Chapter 10._

_I hope you'll like it..._

_Much love, raven_

_Ps.: I know I'm testing your patience, so please...just hold on a little while longer...it will pay off in the end. I promise._

* * *

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 10**

David had taken Henry to the diner because Emma had insisted on having a "mother –daughter" talk, but the truth was the she did not want her son to hear anything about what was going on.

And on the other side she did not want her father to find out either because he would never allow, would never approve of the plan her and Gold had come up with.

But she needed Mary Margaret's help – or should she say Snow White's?

It had taken Emma a while to explain the whole situation to her mother, but once Mary Margaret had realized what was going on, she looked at her daughter in disbelief.

_"So, it's Cora…who's behind it all…and Regina…"_

_"We don't know about that. We don't know what role Regina is playing in this game…or if she is playing at all",_ Emma started, but just earned a death glare from the other woman.

_"If you would know her as long as I know her…you wouldn't even try to defend her"_, Mary Margaret snorted.

_"Well, but I don't…so, for what it's worth…I'll give her the benefit of the doubt"_, the blonde replied fiercely.

_"Whatever…so, what do you want me to do?"_

_"I've heard some rumors that you…well…that you can handle a bow…Gold is looking for it at the moment…together with some arrows. I just need you to distract Cora for a second…that's all. Maybe you could hit her in the shoulder or something"_, Emma explained, sounding as if she would be in "sheriff mode".

_"Oh…I miss this part of my past sometimes…but wait…what? You want me to 'distract' Cora? What for?"_ Mary Margaret had become suspicious that her daughter was hiding some big detail from her.

_"Please, don't ask me questions. Because I don't want to lie to you…you have to trust me on this. I know what I'm doing"_, Emma looked at the woman sitting right next to her with pleading eyes.

No way in hell she would tell her mother what this was really about.

_"Emma…I…I don't understand. How am I supposed to know when…when will be the right moment to 'distract' her…as you put it…will there be some sign or something?"_ the worry in Mary Margaret's voice was unmistakable and it weighed heavy on her daughter's heart.

_"You'll know when the time will be right…I trust you on that…m-mo.."_ but before the blonde could actually say it her phone had started buzzing in her pocket.

The second she pulled it out and took a glimpse at the display her face fell.

That was impossible. Everything was going way too fast.

Gold was calling her. And that could only mean one thing.

Cora was already there.

Shit!

_"We need to go…it's time_", the blonde tried to focus, but there were too many thoughts racing through her head.

_"What? You mean like…right now? I haven't practiced a single shot in…a long time. I didn't even hold a bow in my hand…"_ Mary Margaret obviously was not ready, but neither was Emma.

They had to get going anyway and that's why the blonde jumped up and pulled her mother with her, grabbing her father's sword on the way out.

* * *

Gold was lying on the street, right in front of his shop, by the time Emma and Mary Margaret managed to sneak up to the scene.

Cora had him pinned to the ground and it looked as if he was trying to talk Regina's mother into some sort of a deal because he smiled sheepishly.

So far, so good.

_"Try to find the bow and the arrows…they have to be in his shop"_, Emma announced quickly, _"And try not to get caught."_

_"I'm not leaving you here…all by yourself"_, Mary Margaret started to argue.

_"Now listen to me, mom. I need you to do this…because I need your help. And we'll need whatever help we can get…so please…"_

_"You actually called me mom",_ Emma's mother beamed.

_"And if you want to hear it another time…you better get going or neither of us will live long enough to say it…or hear it"_, the blonde answered, beyond serious.

_"Got it. No matter what you have in mind...take care…because Cora is one hell of a dangerous woman…and I can't lose you again…"_ Mary Margaret said, her eyes tearing up, _"I love you, Emma."_

* * *

Once her mother was out of sight Emma tightened her grip on the sword and headed into Cora's direction when she heard Rumplestiltskin trying to trick the powerful woman, who was about to stab him.

He was trying to trick Cora, right? He wasn't serious about the deal he was offering, now was he? What if he had played Emma all along?

And for a moment the blonde allowed herself to follow that thought. Maybe all of this had been his great plan all the time…because he clearly was insane and greedy for more power.

But then the blonde shoved the thought aside, knowing full-well that she would never succeed in her mission if she would not stop thinking immediately.

_"Hey you!"_ she yelled out in an attempt to get Cora's attention, but the second the furious woman glared at her Emma wished she had not put herself out in the open yet.

She was not ready for what was about to come, was not ready for that battle.

And before the blonde could have blinked she was already flying through the air, thrown by the dark powers of Regina's mother.

Emma's body was smashed against the ground hard, making it impossible for her to breathe for a few seconds, pain rushing through her whole body.

Her shoulder was burning like it was on fire, but the blonde knew it was because Cora's magic had hit here there.

What should she do? Emma felt as if she had screwed up already, but she had to get back on her feet and she knew it.

And that was exactly what she did.

She got herself back together and started into Cora's direction once again.

_"Where's Regina?"_ Emma yelled this time, hoping that this would do the trick and it obviously did because Cora, who was holding the dagger in her hands, turned to face her, _"Why would I know? I thought she left town…"_

_"She has. I just thought she would be with you"_, Emma countered quickly. She needed Cora to focus on her just a little while longer. Just long enough for Gold to get out the vial, to speak the curse, that would deprive Cora of her powers.

_"Why would she be with me? What use would I have for her? She's weak…still hoping for a happy ending…quite stupid I'd say. I still don't understand why I got punished like this. I only had one child…who turned out be of no use at all."_

The words were hard and cold and Emma had to gulp. This woman had raised Regina? No wonder the brunette had no idea what love was.

_"So, she has nothing to do with this?"_ Emma asked. She simply had to know.

_"Who? Regina? Don't be silly. She might not be happy here…but it's all she has. All she had. Until you showed up and took the last bit away from her anyway…but she wouldn't do anything to hurt her precious Henry…that bastard child...as I said. Weak. And stupid"_, Cora spit her words right at Emma, who was stepping closer, the sword in her right hand.

_"You can't stop me"_, Regina's mother barked, but the blonde did not step back, _"You can't stop me either."_

That was when Cora threw another ball of dark magic against the blonde, but this time Emma shielded herself with her sword, hoping that it would protect her.

And it did.

The magic ricocheted right back to where it had come from and it hit Cora right in the chest causing the woman to scream horrified before she dropped to the ground.

_"Gold…now!"_ Emma demanded, but the old man did not react.

What the hell was going on? He was not unconscious or anything and they probably had only a few seconds before Cora would be back on her feet, _"Gold…do it…now!"_

Nothing.

The blonde headed straight for the old man, grabbing the vial in his jacket quickly, _"What do I have to do?"_

_"It's not working"_, he whispered, _"It's not working."_

_"What?!"_ Emma was close to getting hysterical.

If they would not take Cora's powers away within a heartbeat they all would be doomed and before the blonde could have realized it Regina's cold hearted mother was already standing, _"You are going to die…both of you."_

Cora was raising her arm, the dagger in hand, ready to kill, when she got hit by an arrow. Right in the chest.

And it caused her to drop the dagger in shock, clutching her hand to her body, trying to get the arrow out of it, but she got hit by a second arrow just a few seconds later. This time it hit her right shoulder and Cora started to stagger.

Emma was in a state of shock herself, but then she heard Gold's voice, _"You have to kill her. You have to chop off her head."_

_"What?"_ the blonde glared at him in disbelief and when she saw that wicked smile on the old man's face she realized that he had been playing her.

Killing Cora had been his plan from begin with. So what was she supposed to do?

But Regina's mother answered that question for her immediately when Emma saw the magic moving between Cora's hands like an upcoming thunderstorm.

There was no other way.

And as if Mary Margaret wanted to show her that it was okay another arrow hit Cora's chest, made the magic in her hands disappear for a moment.

It was the second Emma needed to jump.

And before she knew it the blade of Charming's sword met Cora's flesh.

* * *

Mary Margaret was holding her daughter tight because Emma seemed to be very upset.

Both women were standing on the street, looking down at the head of Cora. It was lying not far from the rest of her body, but the blonde could not believe what she had done.

What Gold had made her do.

She had killed Cora.

She had killed Regina's mother.

And although she had proven the brunette's innocence, Emma was aware of the fact that Regina might never forgive her.

She was not even sure if she would be able to forgive herself.

* * *

By the time Emma and Mary Margaret returned to the Charmings apartment David was pacing around furiously.

Henry had fallen asleep on the couch and that was practically the only thing that kept him from yelling once the two women entered the door.

But the second he saw the blood on his sword, the blood on Emma's clothes, he could not hold his temper back anymore, "Where the hell have you been? What were you thinking?!"

_"Please, don't wake Henry. He's having a hard time even without seeing this"_, the blonde tried to calm her father down.

_"Seriously? I don't care, Emma. I've been worried sick when we returned and you and Mary Margaret were gone…together with my sword. Tell me what happened?"_ he demanded.

_"Let her change her clothes first. And I need to take a look at her shoulder…plus…you need to take the sword away before Henry sees it"_, Mary Margaret stepped between the two of them, _"We'll have a decent conversation in a few minutes."_

David wanted to argue, but Emma disappeared before he could get started and Mary Margaret grabbed him by the arm, looking him straight in the eyes, _"Please…this is not easy for Emma."_

_"What happened?"_ he looked at her, his eyes showing how deeply worried he truly was.

_"She killed Cora."_

* * *

Mary Margaret had checked on her daughter a few minutes later and had recognized the burnt flesh on Emma's shoulder. Cora had hit her badly, but the blonde did not seem to mind.

It had taken her a while to convince Emma that the wound needed treatment, but once Mary Margaret had put some aseptic gauze on her daughter's shoulder she felt a bit calmer.

But Emma obviously did not.

_"It was not your fault. She did not leave you with a choice, Emma."_

_"It doesn't matter. All I wanted to do was to prove Regina's innocence"_, the blonde answered and a sad smile appeared on her face, _"Well, at least I managed to do that. But it doesn't matter anymore…because Regina will never forgive me. I killed her mother."_

_"Why does her opinion about you matter so much lately?"_ Mary Margaret did not understand why Emma was more upset about what the mayor would be thinking of her than about actually killing someone.

When Emma did not answer, she told her daughter that they had to go downstairs and talk to David.

And there was Henry, who needed to be tucked in properly as well.

* * *

Since her son had not woken up by the time they made it back into the living room, Emma filled David in on everything that had happened earlier and he shook his head in disbelief and disapproval, _"I would have never allowed this. You could have gotten yourself killed. Both of you!"_

_"I know…I'm sorry. Gold tricked me. I really thought he would only take her powers away"_, Emma dropped her head in frustration.

_"That's the one good thing about Cora's death. She can't harm anyone anymore"_, Mary Margaret announced quickly.

_"But Regina will…now she will not only be after you, but she will come after Emma for this as well. She will seek revenge for her mother's death"_, David growled, watching his daughter.

_"I know…"_ the desperation in Emma's voice was unmistakable, _"I really screwed this up."_

* * *

David carried Henry upstairs to put him into his bed, but of course the boy had opened his eyes on the way, _"Is it over?"_

Emma did not know what to say, but when she saw the nod Mary Margaret directed at her, she managed a simple _"Yes, kid. It's over."_

He jumped out of David's arms immediately, hugging Emma tight, _"So mom can come back, right? When will she be here?"_

David and Mary Margaret frowned at the thought of Regina's return, but Emma did not even notice.

_"It will take a bit, kid. First of all we have to inform her that her innocence has been proven"_, Emma stated matter-of-factly.

_"Well, call her then. Call her right now!"_

Henry had been too excited to talk him out of this idea, so Emma had pulled her phone out of her pocket and had dialed the brunette's number.

A part of her hoped that Regina would not pick up, the other part of her prayed that she would go straight to voicemail because it would make everything easier. At least for now.

But then Emma's face fell.

The voice at the other end told her that this number was no longer available.

* * *

_"How is she supposed to find out that she can come home now?"_ Henry looked at Emma expectantly.

_"I don't know. But I'm sure she has her ways…she's the mayor after all"_, the blonde tried to sound convincing.

_"I hope so…maybe she'll be back when I wake up…"_

_"Maybe."_

Emma had not dared to look at her son because she could not bear to see the hope shining in his eyes.

Because somehow Emma had a feeling that her son's hope might be taken away from him soon.

* * *

And Emma should be proven correct.

Three days had gone by since she had killed Cora, but no sign from Regina.

All the blonde had gotten were the worst nightmares of her life.

And she had bad ones before.

She was about to go to bed when Henry showed up, looking more heartbroken than ever, tears shining in his sad eyes. _"What if mom found a place she likes better than Storybrooke? What if she doesn't want to come back anymore?"_


	11. Chapter 11

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 11**

_"What? No! Henry...no. Don't ever think that. Regina would never leave you hanging and you know that"_, Emma tried to reassure her son.

_"But why isn't she here then?"_ he looked at the blonde, hoping for a convincing answer.

_"Well, you know...first of all...we don't know where she has gone to. Maybe it just takes her some more time to get back here...because of the distance..."_

_"Okay"_, Henry shrugged and turned to leave, but turned around once again,_ "What if...what if she doesn't know that she can come home? What if she never finds out?"_

Emma stood up, walked over to her heartbroken son and hugged him tight, _"We'll figure something out, okay? I'll go over to the mansion tomorrow...maybe I can find something that helps us find her...or contact her for that matter."_

_"Can...can I come with you? I know it's weird...but I...I guess it will make me feel closer to mom for a bit...I just really miss her"_, he commented peadingly.

_"Sure. I'll pick you up after school"_, the blonde agreed, _"You know what else is weird?"_

_"What?"_ Henry looked at her expectantly.

_"I miss Regina too...kind of"_, Emma admitted and realized her own insecurity about that statement.

But it was true none-the-less. Although the brunette had brought her close to insanity at times, she truly missed Regina. She even missed their arguing, their battles.

Because they had always challenged one another and that had been good - in some way.

And they had made some progress before Regina had felt the need to leave town. They had become a little closer. It might have been the smallest of steps, but it had been a beginning.

Emma still believed that they could manage to become friends and even some sort of a family - for Henry.

But it was not just about him. She had quite enjoyed it as well.

They could work it out, they only had to try harder. All of them.

But first of all they had to find Regina.

First of all the brunette had to come back home.

And then she had to forgive Emma for killing her mother.

* * *

Emma was sitting at the Mayor's office and tried to concentrate on the paperwork because she had to get done with it before she had to pick up Henry.

School would be over in less than two hours and then they would drive over to the mansion to find something that would help them - to find Regina.

And that fact caused Emma's lack of concentration because she would rather start searching now than later, but she had promised Henry to take him with her.

She forced herself to continue reading when a knock on the door stopped her from it once again.

The second she looked up she stared right into the face of the one person she did not want to see. Not at all.

_"Get the hell out, Gold. I always knew you are a sneaky weasel, but what you done..."_ Emma barked at him, trying to keep herself under control.

_"Dearie...dearie...don't work yourself up. You did the world a favor by killing that..."_ but he could not continue because the blonde had jumped up and now he found himself pinned against the office wall.

_"You have no right to decide whether people deserve to live or to die. You might be a genius when it comes to getting into people's heads...you are great in manipulating them...you played me too...but this was definitely the last time, old man. And now get out before I chop off your head as well"_, Emma looked him straight in the eyes to prove that she was serious.

_"Fine. I'll go, but just so you know, dearie. I did it to protect us all. Cora had to die because let's say we would have defeated her...she would have come back and you know it. And besides that...the mayor is free now. She will be angry, but then she will realize that she is finally free"_, Gold smiled one of his wicked smiles, _"And now excuse me, Miss Swan. I have a shop to get to."_

Emma was so confused by his words that she indeed opened her fist and let go, but before the old man could leave the office she stopped him once again - by asking the one question she really needed an answer to, "Why didn't you take her powers? You could have become stronger than anyone..."

_"Well, that's simple, dearie. If I had wanted her powers I simply could have refused to make a deal with you about Regina's."_

_"So, you are trying to tell me that you did this because...?"_ the blonde was not sure what Gold was trying to tell her.

_"I did it because somebody had to stop this woman. She has lost her mind long ago, but if she would have gotten Regina's and my powers...she would have ruined everything. The Enchanted Forest, Storybrooke, simply everything. This woman is beyond crazy...nobody would have been able to stop her. It would have been the end of fairytales, the end of True Love. And that can't happen, dearie. What would the world be without that? What sense would life make then? If there was nothing good anymore, nothing to fight for? If people stop to believe in Happy Endings...and people would stop trying to be better and this world and the other...everything would turn into a very dark and sad place. It would turn into nothing, but dust...without hope people have nothing left to live for"_, he gave Emma a small smile,_ "You might not believe it, dearie...I'm well aware how much my hunger for power cost me. I thought becoming The Dark One would save my son, but it only made him run away from me. And Belle...oh Belle...I drove her away because all this magic and power...I couldn't let go of it. I see things different now...but it's too late for me, isn't it?"_

* * *

Emma had not managed to focus on working after Gold's appearance.

She had decided that it would be better to get out of the office to get some fresh air - at least it would keep her from making a mistake by overreading something.

Regina would kill her if she would mess something of this mayor stuff up, that Emma was sure about.

And killing the brunette's mother clearly had put her back into Regina's bad book anyway.

* * *

She was sitting at Granny's now, lost in thought, when Henry showed up, a worried expression on his face,_ "You were supposed to pick me up twenty minutes ago."_

The blonde jumped at her son's voice and took a look at the clock,_ "Shit! I mean...I'm sorry, kid."_

_"Rough day?"_ he simply asked.

_"Yeah, you could say that. But how do you know?"_ Emma realized once more that her son could see right through her.

_"You look exhausted...like mom always did"_, he stated simply.

_"Right"_, the blonde murmured absently, but then she remembered why she had been supposed to pick up Henry in the first place, _"Do you want something to eat or should we get going?"_

* * *

Henry had told her that he was not hungry and although Emma had known that he was lying, she had agreed to leave.

There simply was something that was more important to her son than food and she got that.

Standing in the mansion made her feel even more lost and alone than the last time, but Emma knew that she had to deal with her feelings and realizations later because first they had to bring Regina home.

* * *

They had searched the whole house twice, but had not found the slightest hint.

No notes, no phone numbers, no contact adresses, nothing.

Henry had fallen asleep on the living room couch during the process and Emma had not dared to wake him up because he seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

So she had decided that she could as well keep looking.

But what for?

There was nothing that would reveal anything about Regina's travel plans.

And yet Emma climbed the stairs once again, headed for the brunette's bedroom.

* * *

It felt so wrong to be in that room, more wrong than in every other place of the house, but the blonde knew she had to try harder. She had to find something.

Going through the wardrobe again, she sighed out of frustration.

Everthing was sorted perfectly - skirts, slacks, shirt, blouses, coats.

But what else would someone expect to find in the brunette's wardrobe? Chaos?

And then it hit Emma.

The nightstand.

She had not checked that before.

It made her feel even more comfortable and out of place when she opened it slowly, but once she caught sight of the only thing in it, Emma dared to breathe again.

She took the book out carefully, not sure what to think of it.

Clearly it was old, bound in brown leather, but what was it? The spell book she would have needed days ago?

Emma hesitated to open it, but she had to know. Maybe the book held the information they were so desperately longing for and so she opened it with shaking fingers.

Once she caught sight of the first handwritten page Emma became aware of the fact that it had to be Regina's old diary and she closed it immediately.

She had no right to read it and she would not find the information she needed in there, would she?

She opened it again and took a look at the last entry quickly, realizing that Regina must have written it before she had come to Storybrooke.

Another dead end.

This would be no help. No help at all.

Emma knew she should put the journal back where it belonged, but she could not let go of it.

And so she sat done on the floor, leaning against the closed wardrobe, debatting with herself.

Regina would definitely kill her if she would find out that Emma only touched it.

But the thought of getting to know the brunette by reading what the diary held simply was too tempting, especially since Regina hardly ever let down her walls. No matter how much Emma had wished at times that things would be different.

That Regina would open up to her, would let her in, would talk to her about the stuff that clearly was haunting her.

This might be Emma's only chance to learn something about the brunette. Something that would help her to understand Regina better.

And that was why the blonde opened the diary after all and started to read.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 12**

_‚Dear Diary,_

_I am glad that father gave me a new journal to write in since mother burned my last one._

_I guess she did not like what she read in it, so I have to be more careful hiding this one because I need to write my thoughts down._

_Who else could I possibly talk to? Whom could I trust enough?_

_Mother seems to have eyes and ears everywhere – there simply is no place for me to go, no place to hide._

_All that counts in her life is power and how to gain more._

_But I don not want power, I just want to be free._

_I want to be me, I want to be happy._

_I would rather live in the woods on my own than in this place because there is nothing warm here._

_Unfortunately there is no way out of here, at least not for me._

_I seems that there is nothing I can do right because she keeps punishing me all the time and it hurts. Not only physically, but mentally._

_And father…he would never defend me. I know he loves me, but he is too scared of mother to do anything. He acts more like a dog around her than like a husband. Which leaves me to myself._

_But I have Daniel now._

_He is our new stable boy and he is the sweetest. He is kind and loving and I guess he is the only person, who cares more about me than about himself._

_Daniel sees me, just me._

_He does not care if I ride horses like a man and he always encourages me to follow my heart._

_Mother can never find out that Daniel and I are in love with each other, she would never allow it. She would send him away or worse and I cannot lose him._

_He is the only good thing in my life. He is what keeps me warm within this cold._

_Regina'_

Emma had to take a deep breath. She could not believe what she had just read because she had believed that, at least back then, Cora must have been a much nicer person than she had become over the years, but obviously she had always been the devil.

And thinking about Regina being in so much pain made Emma feel even worse. She was so unbelievably sorry and she was not sure if she could take more, but she had to. She had to read on and so she did just that.

* * *

_'Dear Diary,_

_I saved a life. I saved Snow White's life when her horse ran off._

_She is such a sweet little girl and we had a connection the second we started to talk._

_Unfortunately her father, King Leopold, thinks I deserve some reward for saving his daughter's life and he asked to marry me._

_It means I would get queen, but I do not want that. I love Daniel._

_Mother has agreed though, of course._

_Why would she care about me and my wishes?_

_I am caught in this hell and I do not know what to do. Daniel said we could run away – together._

_And that is probably the only chance we have._

_But life does not work out for me and I guess that is why Snow White caught us kissing. I made her swear to not tell mother because I do not want to know what she would do if she found out._

_I tried my hardest to make Snow White understand that True Love is magic, that we cannot choose whom we fall in love with and I guess she understood._

_Mother would punish me for saying that because in her eyes love is weakness, but I am not sure if she ever loved or if she is capable of love, so what does she know?_

_My destiny is now in Snow White's hands and I pray that she will keep her promise or Daniel and I will be doomed._

_Regina'_

Emma knew what would come next and she thought about skipping it, but it was part of Regina's and Mary Margaret's history. And it was what had started all of this insanity, hadn't it? So she flipped the page and read on once more.

* * *

_'Dear Diary,_

_I am lost._

_Mother killed Daniel. She ripped his heart out in front of my eyes._

_I…I am…I do not know what to…_

_I am not sure what I feel or if I feel anything at all._

_We wanted to leave tonight, but she caught us, which means Snow White must have broken her promise._

_My one and only sparkle of hope and light has been taken away from me and now I am caught in that hell, in that darkness forever._

_And that is not even the worst. Mother made it very clear that I have no choice – I have to marry the King._

_Somebody help me, please!_

_Regina'_

Emma felt a single tear escape her eyes because her own heart was breaking over Regina's loss.

How could a mother be that cruel to her own child?

She realized that Regina must have cried while writing this entry because there still were some stains and the ink was blurry all over the page. Moving her fingertips over the paper carefully Emma had to shut her eyes.

She had never felt that close to Regina and she probably would never feel it again, but in this moment she did not care.

All she wanted in this particular moment was to pull the brunette into her arms, to hold her close and tell her that everything would be fine.

But was that true? Could thing really be okay for Regina? For all of them?

It took Emma a while to find the strength to keep on reading, but she did it eventually.

* * *

_'Dear Diary,_

_I wish I could just die. Or would find the courage to kill myself._

_I have been married to King Leopold yesterday, which makes me the queen now._

_The Queen – can you imagine that? Because I cannot imagine it for a second._

_I am too young and more than that – I do not want to be queen._

_Mother is overjoyed, of course._

_He married me and yet all he cares about his precious Snow White, who's betrayal ruined my life!_

_So I went from one cage to the next because now I am the property of the King and mother made it clear to me that you do not say 'NO' to a King._

_When he came into my room last night I knew what he wanted, what was about to happen and I did not want any of it._

_But what should I have done? You do not say 'NO' to a King – even I know that. There was no need for mother to tell me that. I guess she just did it to remind me that I get no say on anything. Not even when it comes to my own body._

_And the Kind does not care about me anyway. He just came into my room without even looking at me or asking me how I felt. He barged in, drunk, and took what he wanted, not even bothering to make sure if I was ready or if I wanted it too._

_I have been lying there, trying to focus on something else, tears running down my face, but he did not even notice._

_The last spark of innocence I had in me – taken away by that animal._

_I feel so numb, my whole body hurts, but it does not matter anymore._

_Daniel is dead and so am I. At least that is how I feel._

_But I want revenge. I want revenge for Daniel._

_And for myself._

_Regina'_

Emma closed the diary because she knew it was enough. She would not be able to read another page.

Her own childhood had been a disaster, every foster home worse than the one before, but this…what Regina had been through, what the brunette had to bear …Emma could not even imagine the pain.

And then she remembered their conversation during their camping adventure for Henry's birthday.

Regina had told her that her former husband had not been the most gentle man. Now that was an understatement. But the worst about it was the realization that it had been Snow White's father, her own grandfather, who had done this to Regina.

She needed air because she felt like throwing up all of a sudden and so Emma put the diary back into the nightstand and headed downstairs.

Emma pulled the front door open with shaking hands and trembling body, stepping outside because she felt like she was not able to breathe anymore.

* * *

Once Emma had calmed down she had woken Henry because it had gotten late.

They had stopped by at the diner once again to grab some food because the blonde would not have been able to face Mary Margaret that evening.

She was aware of the fact that Snow White had been a child, but she had broken her promise none-the-less and the consequences had been fatal.

For everyone, but nobody had lost as much as Regina.

And Emma had started to wonder if she would be able to forgive if she would be in Regina's postion.

The truth was that she did not know.

* * *

That night Emma's nightmares had gotten another shade darker – if possible. She had shot up in the middle of the night, sweating as if she had finished a marathon and had clutched her hands over her mouth to stop herself from screaming. And later to make sure the others could not hear her sob.

She had been back outside on the street, right in front of Gold's shop, but this time she had not killed Cora.

She had killed Regina.

The brunette's head had rolled over the ground, a pleading expression on its face.

And she had heard Regina's voice over and over – saying _"Kill me. Please end this torture. I want to be free."_

* * *

The next few days were an even bigger struggle than before and Emma hardly got any work done, she simply could not concentrate on anything.

Because now it was not only Henry, who was heartbroken, but also Emma.

She did not know why, because Regina and her had not even managed to become friends although they tried to raise a child together.

But somewhere along the way, especially since Regina's disappearance, Emma had started to realize that a medal truly had two sides.

Sure, the brunette was The Evil Queen, but she was so much more than that and Emma wondered if Regina knew.

If the mayor even remembered who she had been once and who she could be.

Because Regina clearly had been a person with a good heart before her life and her love had been taken away from her.

And that was why the brunette had to come back.

Regina would be mad as hell because of her mother's death, because Emma knew that, no matter what had happened in the past, Cora had been the only family left for the brunette.

Except Henry, of course.

Regina would not take it easy that her mother had been killed by the blonde, but Emma prayed that they would be able to work it out in the end.

Because then she could try to help Regina to get better, to be better.

The brunette might have failed in the past, but Emma was sure that together they might succeed. Especially since there was something really precious to fight for – Henry, their son.


	13. Chapter 13

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 13**

_"Why are you sitting in my chair?"_

Emma had been so lost in thought, that she had not regonized that somebody had entered the Mayor's office, but as soon as she had heard HER voice she had jumped up, her heart racing, _"Regina! You're back..."_

She could not believe it. The brunette had been gone for weeks and now she was standing here, right in front of her desk, completely unexpected and was glaring daggers at Emma.

_"Obviously I am, Miss Swan. So, what are you doing in my office?"_

_"I…I was…well…trying to get my…I mean your…work done",_ the blonde was too overwhelmed to form a coherent sentence.

_"Eloquent as usual, Miss Swan. Since I am back now"_, Regina stared intensely at the sheriff, _"Care to fill me in on what happened in my absence?"_

Emma felt the urge to run away, more than ever. This was going to be bad and she could not even think straight because she was so relieved to see Regina, she even had considered to hug her for a second or two, but she had not dared to in the end.

_"Henry has missed you terribly. He will be overjoyed to see you, Regina. Where have you been? And why didn't you come back earlier?"_, the blonde managed to say after a while of staring right back at the brunette.

_"That is none of your business, Miss Swan, so stop it. We both know that Henry loves you a lot more than he could ever love me. And I bet you did a great job at replacing me – everywhere", _the mayor stated with an angry tone in her voice_, "But now answer my question. Who was it? Who played me?"_

_"Your mother"_, Emma whispered barely audible, not able to face Regina any longer.

_"I beg your pardon?"_ the brunette clearly became impatient.

_"It was your mother."_

_"What?! My mother? Are you kidding me, Miss Swan? That's not funny"_, Regina barked.

_"Do I look like I was joking?"_ Emma looked at the mayor now, trying to stand her ground.

_"Well, then…where is she?"_

The blonde did not dare to say another word, but the expression on her face must have told everything because Regina's own face fell immediately, _"Get out."_

_"I'm so sorry, Regina. Gold tricked me, I never wanted to…I'm so sorry"_, Emma knew apologizing would be pointless, but she had to try none-the-less.

_"GET OUT!"_

The brunette looked at her, her brown eyes dark and sparkling furiously, _"GET THE HELL OUT!"_

* * *

Emma was sitting at Granny's, drinking her beloved hot chocolate, trying to calm down.

Now that had went well.

Regina would kill her for sure and somehow she could not even blame her.

Everything had been taken away from the brunette by Snow White and all that had been left had been Cora.

And although she must have been the worst mother ever, Cora still had been Regina's family.

So, after Mary Margaret's broken promise had cost the brunette her love and her life, Emma had killed her only living relative. Regina would never forgive her.

What was she supposed to do? And what about Henry?

* * *

Doctor Whale was talking to a patient when the mayor stormed in, _"Where is she?"_

The startled man looked at her as if he had seen a ghost,_ "What? Whom are you talking about?"_

_"My mother. Where is she?"_

_"She…her corpse is down in the morgue. Nobody knew what to do, so we…"_ Doctor Whale simply did not know what to say. Life had been good without Regina and although everyone had known that she would come back, when she had not shown up after her innocence had been proven, the citizens of Storybrooke had dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, she would not return. But now she was here and there was no escape.

_"I want to take the body with me…now!"_ the mayor demanded and Doctor Whale cringed at her voice, but answered none-the-less, _"Of course. This way…Madame Mayor."_

* * *

Regina had made some calls and the body of her mother had been picked up not only half an hour later, but the brunette knew that she had to go and see Mister Gold and make a deal to get her powers back because she would need her magic to bury her mother.

But now that she stood in front of the pawnshop it slowly dawned on her that she was alone now.

Alone in Storybrooke, alone in the world.

And if she would ever return to the Enchanted Forest she would be alone as well.

She took a deep breath and stepped inside.

_"Look, who found her way back home. Welcome back, dearie. You've been missed_", the old man announced, smiling sheepishly.

_"Save it, you fool. I'm here to make another deal because I need my powers back!"_, the brunette growled.

She wanted to kill him, she wanted to rip his heart out, but without her magic she was defenseless, so it would have to wait.

_"First of all, dearie…you have nothing I could possibly want. And second…even if there would be something…I'm not in the possession of the vial anymore"_, Mister Gold answered, playing with his hands.

_"Then tell me where it is"_, Regina barked and was getting even more furious than she had already been.

_"Just wondering, dearie…what would I get for telling you where it is?"_

_"Belle."_

Mister Gold's face fell the second he heard the name and he glared at Regina in disbelief, _"She is dead. You told me…"_

_"It was a lie. I knew one day I would need an ace up my sleeve"_, was the brunette's bitter statement.

_"Belle…"_

Gold seemed to be far gone, but Regina did not care. She grabbed him by the arm, _"Where is the vial?"_

_"I want Belle. Give her back to me"_, the old man had a begging tone in her voice, which seemed to amuse the brunette.

_"Tell me where the vial is and she will be brought here right away."_

_"I gave the vial to Emma Swan."_

* * *

Regina wanted to curse, Regina wanted to scream and more than anything she wanted Emma Swan.

Dead.

Of course that foolish old man had given the vial to her.

To the blonde of all people.

How should she get it back now? Because Emma clearly would not give it back to her without a fight.

Her return to Storybrooke had turned into a nightmare right the second she had entered the Mayor's office.

The second she had seen the blonde sitting in her chair, Regina had known that it had been a mistake to leave town.

Of course the blonde had taken her chance to replace her, not only in Henry's life, but also in Storybrooke.

And on top of everything Emma had killed Cora.

Why had she thought that the blonde would help her instead of ruining the last bit of her life?

Emma had made everything worse and Regina knew that it was her own fault. She should not have left town.

When she entered the mansion, she stared right at the coffin, that was standing in the hallway.

Regina had not dared to take a look at her mother's body at the morgue because she was weak enough without her powers. No way she would have let somebody see her falling apart.

But now that she was alone, she opened the coffin and gulped at the sight in front of her.

Cora was not only dead, but her head had been chopped off and Regina did not know how to deal with that.

She sank to the floor when the first tears started their journey down her cheeks.

* * *

Emma was sitting in her room, staring holes into the wall.

She had known from the beginning that her and Regina would have a bad start again, once the brunette came back, but she had never expected it to be that bad.

Because Regina had already been cold and unapproachable before Emma had more or less confessed that she had killed Cora.

Where had Regina been? And what had happened to her?

They had made progress before the mayor had disappeared, but there had been nothing left of it today.

Right that moment Henry barged into the room, jumping right into her arms, obviously all excited, _"Ruby told me that she has seen mom today. Is she really back?"_

_"Yes, she is."_

Emma sighed heavily because the whole situation was one big disaster.

_"Can we go see her, can we?"_

Henry looked at the blonde expectantly, ready to storm out and run over to the mansion.

_"No, we can't, kid. I know you want to see her so bad, but I've seen her earlier today and believe me she is not in a good mood. Things are complicated"_, Emma stated and dropped her head in frustration.

_"Why? Didn't she miss me?"_ he was close to tears and his voice was trembling, the disappointment unmistakable.

_"No, kid. Don't believe that. She missed you very much, but she just found out that her mother died. And that it is my fault. Do you remember what I told you the other day when I tried to explain the situation to you?"_

Henry nodded, _"You said that mom would take a while to understand what has happened. And that you didn't mean to…to…and that things might be hard and difficult again. But you also said that we would try harder. That we would make her see that we don't want to hurt her."_

_"Exactly. And we'll do that, kid. But now we need to give her time. She will come around"_, the blonde hoped that she sounded convincing.

_"What if she doesn't?"_

_"Then we'll figure something out."_

_Emma squeezed her son's hand reas_suringly,_ "Everything will be fine. It will just take time."_

And she prayed that she was right.

* * *

It had gotten dark outside, but Regina was still cowering in the hallway, next to her mother's coffin. She had run out of tears a while ago, but she could not bring herself to leave the room.

Cora was dead.

Killed by Emma Swan, the savior. And Snow White's daughter.

And Regina wanted revenge, more than ever.

But she knew that she would never get it because then she would lose Henry completely, he simply would never forgive her if she would kill his mother.

But how could she possibly forgive Emma for killing hers?

A knock on the door had Regina out of her thoughts in the end.

She made it to her feet within a heartbeat and pulled the front door open in a rush, _"What the hell are you doing here?"_

* * *

Emma took in the sight in front of her.

Regina must have been crying hard because her eyes were red and her usually perfect make up blurry.

Once again she felt the urge to pull Regina into her arms, but she knew that there was no way for her to do that. Maybe that day would never come.

_"I came to give you something"_, she announced, sounding rather insecure.

_"And what could that possibly be?"_ the mayor grumbled and the expression on Regina's face told the blonde that she wasn't welcome at all.

_"This"_, Emma pulled the vial out of her pocket, _"It belongs to you."_

Looking at the vial, that held her magic, Regina was startled for a moment. That had to be some sick joke or some sort of a trap, right?

_"Why would you give it back to me? That's like suicide, Miss Swan."_

_"I know you won't be live me, but all I wanted was to get you back as soon as possible. For Henry. That kid missed you more than you could imagine. I have no intention to take away what's yours, Regina"_, Emma looked straight into the sad brown eyes of the brunette.

_"Except for my mother's life."_

_"I would have never…I had no idea what Gold had in mind…he told me that he just wanted to take her powers away…I'm so sorry."_

_"Enough"_, that said Regina grabbed the vial, ready to open it – to set her powers free, _"I guess you aware of the fact that I want you dead."_

Emma just nodded, _"If you want to kill me…go ahead."_

_"Oh, I won't, Miss Swan. Henry would never forgive me, would he? But I will make you suffer, I'll make you regret for the rest of your life."_

And then Regina opened the vial, the dust covering her immediately.

And all Emma could do was stand there and watch the brunette's eyes darken, watch Regina reconnect with her destiny.


	14. Chapter 14

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 14**

_Someone should burn Storybrooke to the ground. Well, not someone – I should._

Emma almost jumped at her own thoughts. What the hell was that and where did it come from?

Since Regina's return earlier that day she felt weird.

First she had thought that it had been because of the mayor's reaction, but she had expected nothing less, so that could not be it.

And the more Emma thought about it, the more she realized that this feeling had been there for a while now. It had been there since she had killed Cora.

But Regina had been gone back then and she had been busy to be there for Henry and to calm down David and Mary Margaret – not to forget the tons of paperwork and her sheriff duties.

Now that she was sitting in her room while everybody else was sleeping, Emma finally had time to think, had time to sort things out for herself.

The problem was that Emma did not like what she found out.

Her thoughts were becoming darker it seemed and Emma did not know how to deal with it.

And a part of her was scared too because she had no idea how to handle it.

_Maybe Rumplestiltskin has another dark curse._

What?!

* * *

When Emma stumbled into the kitchen in the morning she looked like a ghost. Her skin was pale, there were dark bags under her eyes and she walked around like a zombie.

Henry watched her, his eyes filled with worry, but he did not dare to say a word because Emma seemed to be in a bad mood.

When she started to pace around more and more, mumbling words he did not understand, he had to ask though, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

_"That's none of your business. Shut up and go to school!"_

Emma had snapped at her son before she would have been able to stop herself. Once she realized what she had done she clutched her hand over her mouth in shock.

What was going on?

_"Henry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…to be like that. I'm just tired, okay?"_ she knelt down in front of the chair her son was sitting on, a pleading expression on her face.

He had been so surprised by his mother's reaction that he could not say a word, so he just nodded.

Something was wrong, he just did not know what it was. But he would find out eventually.

* * *

Regina was stalking through the mansion, deep in thought.

Where should she bury her mother?

First she had wanted to do it in her garden, right next to her beloved apple tree, but now she was not so sure about it anymore.

Because Regina was aware of the fact that the tree meant more to her than her mother.

She had always tried to win Cora's affection, had always tried to be good enough, so her mother would love and respect her one day, but Regina knew quite well that she had never succeeded.

So, what should she do? She had to make a decision because the coffin could not stay in her hallway much longer.

But on the other hand she did not want to bury her mother because then Cora would be gone for real and Regina did not know if she would be able to bear that.

Her mother had been the last thing left since Emma had come into town and had started to bond with Henry.

* * *

Emma was strolling through the streets of Storybrooke without a destination because she had to clear her head.

She did not understand what was happening to her. Maybe she should get back to work to keep herself busy.

Because whenever she had something to do the dark thoughts disappeared – if Emma managed to focus and concentrate enough.

_Well, I could go to work…or I could beat someone up to get rid of that anger._

But where did all the anger come from?

Emma had no idea what was wrong with her, but she knew that it would drive her crazy sooner or later.

* * *

Regina was on her way to the Mayor's Office, absorbed in some documents, when she bumped into somebody.

If she had not been mad already, she would be now.

_"What the hell?"_

But the second she looked up, the brunette's eyes darkened and she became even more furious,_ "Miss Swan, of course. Who else?!"_

_"I'm sorry, Reg…Madame Mayor. I was lost in thought"_, the blonde murmured, dropped her head and wanted to move on, but she got held back by the firm grip of the brunette's hand.

_"You are capable of thinking? I highly doubt that, Miss Swan. I always thought there would be two idiots in your family…Snow White and her Charming. But I have been wrong. It's three idiots…well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."_

The provoking tone in Regina's voice and her amused smile were too much for Emma.

She had tried to hold back her anger, had tried to be nice because she had not wanted to pick a fight with the brunette after all she had done.

But this was too much.

Emma pulled her hand away in a rush because she had no intention to hurt Regina, at least not physically. Not while they were standing in front of the Town Hall, where everybody could see them.

_It's just so tempting. I could knock her out right here, right now…_

Emma had to shake her head, had to get rid of those thoughts. She had promised Henry to try harder, not make things worse. She had sworn to herself that she would make sure that Regina would get better.

_"Are you drunk, Miss Swan? It's not even lunch time."_

The mayor watched the blonde closely, sure confused about Emma's behavior. Usually the blonde was annoying, intimidating even, but that. That was just insane.

_"I'm not drunk. Are you crazy? Just get the hell away from me, Madame Mayor. And don't touch me ever again…"_

Regina stepped closer, right into Emma's personal space, her face right in front of the blonde's, _"Or what, Miss Swan?"_

Emma leaned in close enough to feel the brunette's breathe on her skin, _"Or I might chop off your head as well."_

* * *

Regina Mills was dumbstruck.

What the hell was that?

Emma Swan clearly was out of her mind, but she had been okay yesterday.

When the blonde had tried to explain herself nothing had seemed to be wrong with her, but now something was more than just wrong.

Well, it was not her business, so she would not worry about it. If Emma had some sort of troubles Mary Margaret would be all too happy to help her daughter out.

* * *

_Three days later_

Henry was worried sick.

Emma became weirder with every hour that went by.

The blonde was talking to herself, she was crying at night or screaming, she was lost in thought, had become aggressive and he became more and more scared of his own mother.

Wasn't it enough that Regina scared the hell out of him at times?

He had to do something, had to find something to help Emma, but first of all he had to understand why she had started to change in the first place.

This morning she had almost slapped Mary Margaret. If David would not have held her back the situation would have escalated completely.

But Henry also wanted to go and see Regina because he missed his mother more than he ever thought possible and then it hit him.

Maybe Regina would know what Emma's problem was.

* * *

The mayor sat in her office, checking papers and documents and she realized that Emma had done a good job during her absence, not that she would ever admit that.

But there was still so much do to and she was not sure if she would leave this office ever again.

The coffin with her mother's corpse had been brought over to the crypt, where it was resting now - together with her father and her boxes full of hearts.

Although she knew that her father would turn over in his grave because she had put Cora next to him, but she had not known what else to do.

And she was still mourning her loss, still feeling completely off track, but she could not afford to let people see that.

A sudden knock on her door earned nothing, but an eye roll from Regina and a sharp, _"What is it now?"_

She did not even bother to look up, hoping that whoever would be at the other side would be scared off by her voice and would just leave, but when she heard the sound of the opening door she knew that she had no such luck.

_"Mom!"_

The excited voice of her son had her sit up straight in a heartbeat though and she stared at him in disbelief.

Henry stormed in and jumped right into her arms, _"I've missed you so much!"_

She was too overwhelmed to say anything, so she just pulled him closer, holding on for dear life, thinking that she had to be hallucinating.

But when she felt his arms tighten around her shoulders Regina finally realized that this was really happening and she whispered, her voice weak, _"I've missed you too, Henry. You have no idea how much…"_

Henry took a seat next to Regina, smiling brightly,_ "Why have you been gone for so long?"_

_"I had a very complicated time, but that's a story for another day, okay?"_

_"Okay"_, he shrugged, _"I'm just glad you came back."_

_"Me too, sweetheart, me too."_ She smiled at her son, but felt insecure none-the-less because it simply was too good to be true. Henry had been so distant most of the time before she had left town and now he was all happy to see her? That was impossible.

And yet Regina asked the one question she wanted answered although she was not sure if she would be ready for said answer,_ "So, do you like living with the two…id…the Charmings…and Emma?"_

_"Oh, I do. But I want to come back home"_, Henry stated simply as if it would not be a big deal at all.

_"You do?"_ Now Regina was completely confused. She had expected everything – except that. She had thought that the Charmings would have brain washed her son by now, but obviously they had failed. Or had they not even tried?

_"Yes. I think Emma needs some alone time. It's been some hard weeks for her…looking after me and with the two jobs and…and…"_

He looked at his mother, not sure if he should continue.

_"You…you know?"_ The brunette became even more confused, if possible. Emma had told their son the truth, had risked that he would abandon her as well as he had abandoned Regina when he had found out that she was The Evil Queen? Why would she have done that? Why would she have ruined her son's vision of her being the good hearted savior, who was nothing, but great?

_"Of course I know, mom. Emma told me what happened. But you have to know that she did not mean to…she never wanted to kill anybody. It's Mister Gold's fault."_

Regina sighed, _"It doesn't matter, Henry. It doesn't bring my mother back."_

_"I know that, mom"_, Henry announced, obviously not sure what else to say. It took him a moment to find the courage to keep talking,_ "She did it for you though, you know. She tried so hard to prove your innocence. The whole town has been against her, but Emma didn't care. She just wanted to get you back. For me. And she is having a really hard time…and I guess something is wrong with her."_

_"Henry, what exactly do you mean?"_

* * *

After her son had told her everything about the recent events and Emma's scary behavior, it dawned on Regina that the situation was worse than she had thought.

The saviors heart obviously was darkening because Emma had killed somebody and now the blonde was fighting an inner battle between good and evil. But why had it taken so long? Emma should have started to act weird right after she had killed Cora.

For a moment Regina had to smile – she liked the direction this journey was taking. She liked it a lot. An evil saviour. There were so many new opportunities…

But then she looked right into her son's sad and pleading eyes and she knew that none of them would be an option because by punishing Emma she would punish her son.

_"So, can I come home?"_

_"Of course, Henry, you don't even have to ask."_

Regina gave him a warm smile, a smile that was reserved for nobody, but her son.

Henry clearly was excited, but a second later he turned serious again, _"And will you help Emma?"_


	15. Chapter 15

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 15**

_„Henry, I…I can't help Emma."_

Regina needed all her willpower to stay calm.

_"Mom, please! She needs us. Emma did everything she could to help you, to protect you."_

The mayor knew that her son was right, she knew that Emma had done everything in her powers, but she had also killed Cora. And Regina was not able to forgive, even less to forget. Although she had caught herself wishing that she could because they had finally started to get along before she had left town.

_"Listen, sweetheart. I can't help Emma, not even if I wanted to, but maybe I can show you how to do it. Would that be okay?"_

Regina watched her son closely, waiting for an answer, but Henry just shook his head, _"It won't be enough, mom. I already tried, but she doesn't even seem to listen…"_

The brunette sighed heavily, but then she smiled at her son,_ "Maybe we can try something…together. Bring Emma over for dinner at seven. Sharp."_

* * *

_"Emma, you can't allow it. You can't let Henry go back to Regina…"_ Mary Margaret was pacing around the apartment.

_"Sure I can. Taking him away from her was never an option. Besides he wants to go back."_

Emma's tone was dry, but she seemed to be in focus for once.

_"You are out of your mind. Henry has to stay with us. We have to keep him safe"_, David announced, his voice trembling out of anger.

_"Keep him safe? Regina has never harmed him, at least not on purpose. There is no discussion…if Henry wants to go back, he can go back. He is my son, not yours. End of story."_

Emma was sick of the discussions with her parents. Sometimes she wanted to pack her stuff and leave without ever coming back.

_Or I could kill them while they sleep._

She knew that she would get carried away again, so Emma turned around and headed for her room, when David yelled after her, _"We are not done yet."_

But when Emma stopped to glare at him, he realized that the battle was lost – his daughter's eyes were cold once again.

* * *

Henry was proud that they had made it over to the mansion on time. He had feared that they would be late after Emma's argument with David and Mary Margaret, but they had arrived at seven. Sharp.

He had hoped that his mother would invite Emma to dinner, but she had not.

Regina had told them to take a seat in her study instead and Henry was not sure how that should help Emma, but he had not dared to say anything.

Now that he was sitting on the couch, next to Emma, he looked at his mother expectantly.

The brunette was studying the blonde closely, an unreadable expression on her face and Henry started to wonder if this had been a smart idea.

_"Miss Swan, stop focusing…allow your thoughts to drift off"_, Regina stated after a while.

_"What?!"_ Emma looked at the brunette as if she was crazy, _"I want to stop this shit, not make it worse."_

_"Exactly. And that is why you have to learn how to control it."_

The blonde weighed her options, but she had to admit that the mayor's logic made sense and so she leaned back and stopped trying to concentrate on her surroundings.

It did not take long and Emma was obviously gone, lost in the darkness and Regina turned her attention to her son,_ "Try to talk to her. Try to get her to listen, to focus on you, can you do that?"_

Henry nodded and started talking immediately.

* * *

Regina frowned slightly at the sight in front of her.

Henry was trying his hardest, but Emma did not react the way she had expected. The blonde had snapped at her son twice, but she had not gotten better. Not at all.

So she would have to help the blonde herself after all - even if it was the last thing she wanted to do.

But she had to - for Henry's sake.

_"Sweetheart, leave me and Miss Swan alone for a minute."_

_"Mom?"_ He looked at Regina in surprise, not sure if he should do what his mother had told him.

_"It's okay, Henry. I promise. Just go and unpack your backpack. It won't take long"_, Regina reassured him with a small smile.

Once the obviously insecure boy was gone, the mayor stood up and so did Emma, the blonde's body tensing within a second.

Regina went over and stopped right in front of Emma, only one step away from entering the blonde's personal space, watching Emma's eyes getting colder, the expression on her face harden.

_"Get the hell away from me, Mayor Mills."_

The bark came right away, but Regina stayed unimpressed and took a step forward, grabbing Emma's arms firmly,_ "Don't you dare to ever snap at Henry again, Miss Swan. Or I might rip your heart out."_

Their eyes locked, fighting a battle of their own and for a moment Regina was tempted to take advantage of Emma's situation, but then she thought about Henry again and she shoved it aside,_ "Listen to me, Miss Swan. I know you are angry because your heart is darkening. Killing somebody has this effect on people."_

_"Well, then I'm a lost cause…like you"_, growled an obviously upset blonde.

Regina's grip around Emma's wrists tightened, holding the blonde in place. The pressure would help her to get Emma to focus, _"Listen to me. Think about Henry. Think about how much he loves you, how much he looks up to you. Think about something warm, about a memory you treasure. Something you can hold on to. If I can do it, you can do it too. You might have killed my mother, but you will always be a much better person than I could ever be."_

The mayor stopped dead in her talking progress. She had never meant to say that although it was true, but now it was too late to take it back.

When she realized that Emma's tension started to slowly fade away, Regina took a deep breath and continued, _"Focus on Henry and on how much you care about him. Try to remember something good, a moment that has taken your breath away."_

* * *

It had taken a while until Emma was calm again, her thoughts clear, but the mayor had succeeded in the end, had talked her out of her anger, out of the darkness.

Emma let herself sink down onto the couch once more, completely exhausted and drained.

Regina watched her intensely, fighting the urge to sit down next to the blonde, but the mayor could not shake of the hurt she felt, simply because she remembered all her failed attempts of becoming better too well.

_"Thanks for helping me, Madame Mayor. I know you have no reason to do so, you owe me nothing, so thank you."_

Emma sounded weak, defeated even.

_"Remember, whenever you recognize that your thoughts are going dark again…use the memory you created today to get yourself back. Focus on whatever you have been thinking about…focus on it with everything you have and if possible…lock yourself up somewhere so you can't hurt anyone. And don't, under no circumstances, use magic"_, Regina stated dryly.

_"I'll try my best."_

_"Trying won't be enough, Miss Swan. This takes a lot of discipline and an iron will. Those thoughts won't go away anytime soon, but you can learn how to control yourself if you work hard enough. Practice is everything, but it doesn't mean that you'll never fail. You can't give up though – for Henry."_

Emma looked up and met Regina's brown eyes and she could see that the mayor meant every word.

Not able to say something in return she nodded and got up, _"I better get going. I've heard you have dinner plans with your son."_

* * *

Regina Mills entered her office with mixed feelings the next morning.

She had meant to be a lot harder on Emma Swan, but somehow she could not bring herself to do it.

It had to be because of Henry. Maybe even a little bit because of the situation the blonde was in.

A situation that was too familiar.

At least dinner with Henry had been great and she had enjoyed it thoroughly. That her son had wanted to come back to live with her made her feel less angry. She was still mourning in silence, but Regina felt a lot better, more down to earth with her son around.

And she knew that she had to give Emma credit for that – whether she liked it or not. Because the blonde clearly had not taken advantage of her disappearance, had not tried to take Henry away from her.

Now that Regina sat in her chair, she knew that she had to bring some light into the darkness, that she had to know the truth about her mother's death.

And that was the moment when she grabbed her phone to call Sidney Glass.

* * *

Emma had rented a room at Granny's Bed & Breakfast once again.

She needed to be on her own for a while before she would really hurt somebody one day. She needed time, peace and silence to get better at controlling herself.

Mary Margaret had not been happy about her decision, but at least David had agreed. For once.

But now that she was sitting on the bed, staring at the horrible pink flowered wall, Emma questioned her decision.

What if things did not work out? What if she would freak out completely?

And not even a moment later she felt the darkness rising already.

* * *

Regina had left her office, the laptop Sidney had given her, in hand, but now that she sat in her study she did not dare to open it and watch the video clip, that it held.

Nobody in Storybrooke was aware of it, but the mayor had arranged to have some security cameras placed in town, hidden in the street lamps.

She had decided that the day after Emma Swan's arrival because she had wanted to be prepared for whatever the blonde had been up to.

The sheriff had never been up to much, at least there had not been some evil conspiracy or something, but since there was a camera right in front of Gold's pawnshop, Regina had her mother's death on tape.

If only she could bring herself to watch it.

* * *

Emma was pacing around, heading from one end of the room to the other and back. She felt like an animal in a cage, but she knew there was no other way and so she had locked the door in the end.

She tried her hardest to focus on Henry, to focus on everything Regina had told her to, but it was not working that well. At least not as good as it been working last night.

But there was no giving up, right?

She had to calm down, she had to fight it. Closing her eyes Emma tried to bring that memory back, the one that had saved her last night and then she saw it – bright and clear. She remembered, she felt it.

When she opened her eyes she stared right into the mirror, stared right at herself and before she could have stopped herself she smashed her fist against it.

The noise of the shards flying around and hitting the ground snapped Emma back to reality in a heartbeat. Her hand was hurting like hell, blood was dropping to the floor, but she did not care.

She had managed to escape from the darkness by herself.

* * *

_"That bastard child."_

Regina had watched the video repeatedly once she had found the courage to watch it at all.

She had heard every word her mother had spoken, had seen the disgusted look on Cora's face when Emma had asked her about Regina, had witnessed every excoriating comment about the daughter, that had turned out badly, but nothing had bothered her as much as Cora calling her son _"that bastard child."_

Henry meant everything to her and hearing her mother say that made her more angry than everything else.

Regina had expected that she would be disturbed by seeing how Emma had killed her mother, but to her own surprise she was not.

Simply because she would have done the same – if she would have been in Emma's position.

Because otherwise Cora would have went after Henry sooner or later, just to make her suffer once again.

And Regina had to admit that she was impressed that Emma Swan had stood her ground against Cora, had defended her, had done everything to prove her innocence. As she had promised.

_"That bastard child."_

The mayor shut the laptop down, jumped up in a rush and stormed out of the mansion only a second later.

* * *

By the time Regina arrived at the crypt she was even more worked up.

Her mother had tortured her long enough, but now it would end. She would end it for all time.

The moment the brunette caught sight of her mother's coffin she focused on her powers, just to direct the magic against it.

She watched it burn to dust with an evil smile on her face for a while, but then she moved the sarcophagus in which her father's corpse was resting, to enter the chamber of hearts and a wicked smile spread on her face.

Cora had never realized that Regina had stolen her heart one night. She had stolen it and had replaced it with the heart of a maid, just in case she would ever have to protect herself from Cora.

She did not know how her mother had never noticed it, but Cora had always been too arrogant to realize what was going on right in front of her, simply sure that nobody would ever dare to speak up to her or play her.

And nobody ever had – except for Regina.

And Emma Swan.

Pulling the box out, opening it carelessly, Regina grabbed the heart, squeezing it so hard that it turned into dust right away. Like the coffin with Cora's corpse.

_"See you in hell, mother."_


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: Hello everybody!_

_Sorry for not updating yesterday. It might not be a big deal for everyone, but it is for me._

_Not exactly the fact that I didn't write, but the reason why I didn't._

_Some of you may have already noticed that I'm living in Germany - originally I'm from Austria. And some of you might have also heard about the massive floodings that we are dealing with at the moment. The town I live in has not been hit badly, but a lot of our neighbour cities had no such luck. They were/are pretty much drowning. And I could not stay at home watching all those horrible pics anymore. So I drove over to one of those towns...and I spent the whole day yesterday with shovelling sand, filling sandbags...because they are needed everywhere to build dams. To stop the water and avoid the worst._

_I don't tell you this because I want attention or anything, I'm telling you this because it was an amazing experience to see all these people helping and supporting each other. There is so much bad stuf going on in this world, so much hate...but in an hour of a big crisis people show that they can stand together, no matter where they come from or what God they believe in. Seeing that was worth it all - the exhaustion, the sunburn, the muscle soreness, the hell of a pain I currently have in my back. I can barely move, but I know I will go back and help more anyway. Because whatever it might cost me - it is a small price compared to what some people have lost in this flood._

_I grew up in a little village and my grandparents were farmers - they never had much, but they taught me to respect others. To help out whenever you can - as they did and everybody else in the village. And I feel so much gratitude that I was raised like that because I think it's awful that people tend to care about nobody, but themselves these days._

_That said I hope you'll enjoy Chapter 16!_

_Much love, Raven_

* * *

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 16**

Henry and Emma were sitting at the diner, drinking hot chocolate and talking about the blonde's progress a couple of days later.

_"Are you feeling any better?"_

_"Yes, kid. I'm feeling ok. Still dealing with the dark thoughts though. But I'm getting better at controlling them. Doesn't mean I don't fail anymore because I do – sometimes."_

_"Good. I'm glad to hear that...that you keep trying and are getting better"_, her son gave her a smile.

_"How is Regina holding up? Is she okay?"_ Emma had caught herself wondering about the mayor's well being on more than one occasion during the last days.

_"I don't know. She is not talking much. I guess she is still sad__. I thought that…I want to ask her if she wants to bake cookies with me today. I've always loved that"_, Henry looked at Emma, obviously waiting for her opinion.

_"You know what, kid? I think that's a great idea. You should do that."_

_"I just wish we could spend time together again…the three of us."_

He dropped his head, staring at his shoes.

_"Me too, kid, me too."_

Emma sounded unbelievably wistful and she could not deny it.

Not that she wanted to because when she was honest she had to admit that she missed spending time with her son. And Regina.

As weird as it sounded and as much as they had argued, it had become some routine, a constant in her life she had been able to hold on to. And Emma wanted it back. She just did not know how to make it happen.

* * *

Regina had been taken aback by Henry's suggestion, but now that they were standing in the kitchen together she really had to smile.

Maybe it was not the biggest smile, but it was a smile none-the-less and for the first time since weeks the mayor felt that there was more to her life than darkness.

_"I like to see you smile."_

Henry's statement came out of the blue and when he saw his mother glare at him in confusion he started to chuckle.

Regina pulled her son into a hug to reassure herself that it was real because she still could not believe that she would get this lucky for once, _"I'm so glad to have you in my life, Henry. You know that, right?"_

_"I know. I'm happy as well. I love you, mom."_

He gave her his best smile because he knew that Regina had trouble to believe him – as much as she wanted to.

_"I love you too, sweetheart."_

* * *

Henry and Regina were sitting in the living room, eating cookies and he realized once more how sad his mother seemed to be.

_"What is it, mom?"_

_"What do you mean?"_ Regina looked at her son, obviously irritated by his question.

_"You can talk to me about stuff, you know...when you are upset or something."_ Henry knew that he was walking on thin ice because his mother never talked about personal things. To nobody.

The mayor did not know what to say in response. Henry had taken her by surprise once again. She was not used to him being so attentive and caring. And she did not know how she could possibly explain to her son that she could understand Emma's actions, that she wished that they could work it out and be some sort of a family. That she was worrying about Emma's well –being because none of it made any sense to Regina. She did not know why she was feeling what she was feeling, why she wished for all these things.

After a while she realized that she had to say something though, simply to calm down her son.

_"I'm exhausted because of all the work and everything that has happened over the last few weeks, you understand that, right? And I'm not good at talking about things, I guess you know that already. But maybe I can try to get better at it, okay?"_

Henry watched his mother closely and nodded,_ "I do understand that. And I'm sorry that things with Emma are so difficult because you could really use a friend."_

Regina held her breath. A friend? She never had friends. And she was sure that she would never be able to trust somebody enough to call them a friend. Not after all that had happened to her.

_"I'm fine, Henry. Don't worry about it."_

_"But I do worry because you are my mom. And since Emma is acting weird I understand better. All this helped me understand better. Evil is not born, it's made. I always knew that…but to see it happening…well, that's what made it more real for me. Does that sound crazy?"_ He looked at Regina, hoping he would manage to say what he had wanted to say since a while now.

When his mother did not say anything he continued, _"I'm really sorry, you know. Part of all this is my fault. I was so caught up in the idea of you being The Evil Queen…and it made me forget that you are my mom too. That you have always been there for me…that you have always tried to do the best for me. That you are more than The Evil Queen. I never saw the other side to that story. That you've been hurt, that you have been a good person before all this bad stuff happened to you. I have realized that it can happen to everybody…to turn evil I mean…but I think there is a way back as well…for everyone."_

* * *

Regina had enjoyed spending the day with her son and she had been overwhelmed by his words, but she was scared too. Henry's expectations were so high and she was not sure if she would manage to become what he wanted her to be.

Emma would succeed sooner or later, the blonde would escape the darkness for good – the mayor was sure about that.

But if she would be able to do it as well – that was the one thing Regina Mills was not sure about at all.

Maybe it was too late, maybe she had taken too many lives. Maybe she had been on the dark side for too long.

Sure, she had gotten some sort of a grip on herself, but Regina knew that it would not take much and she would freak out again.

She would have ripped Emma Swan's heart out without giving it a second thought without Henry.

Her son had be the reason she had not acted on her instincts for once – because he would have never forgiven her. But the mayor was aware of the fact that one day Henry might be not enough to stop her. If killing her father had not stopped her, her son might not be able to in the long run either.

She had wanted nothing, but a happy ending for herself, but Regina had come to realize that it would never happen because she was, who she was. She could get as good as she wanted, a part of her would always remain evil. Her heart was as dark as night although she felt love for Henry, so she would not stand a chance in the long run.

Regina knew that her son had started to believe in her and she wished she would find the strength to put some faith in herself, but she did not know how.

But without faith there was no hope – and that was the doom loop she could not escape from since her childhood.

* * *

Emma had not even realized that her thoughts had drifted off while she was on her way over to Granny's for lunch, but the second she had entered the diner she had seen corpses without heads instead of actual people and then she had known it.

The blonde had stormed out in a hurry and had fled to the station, where she had locked herself up in a cell.

And now she was slamming her fists against the wall, harder and harder, because she could not focus on her memories. It did not work. Not at all.

_"Miss Swan, what the hell are you doing here?"_

Regina's voice was sharp and intense.

_"Get out, Regina! Get out!"_ Emma started to panic, she felt caught. Not because she was in a cell, but because the mayor had witnessed what she was doing to herself.

But Regina did not even blink. She kept talking in a serious tone instead because she knew that the element of surprise was her advantage since Emma had not seen her coming, _"Focus, Miss Swan. Think about Henry, think about YOUR son. You can't fail. Focus on your good memories…you've done well the last couple of days. Focus!"_

* * *

It had taken a few more minutes and Regina's ongoing demands to focus that had brought her down in the end.

The mayor had even helped her to bandage her bleeding and bruising hands, much to Emma's surprise, but now that she was sitting at the station all by herself, she started to wonder why Regina had shown up at the station in the first place.

And since she had forgotten to ask Emma decided that she should go and ask.

Now that she was standing in front of the Mayor's office the blonde began to question that decision though, but it was the right thing to do, wasn't it? Especially since Regina for sure had not stopped by to chat or something, so Emma would be polite and check. Maybe it had been important.

* * *

Regina had asked her a few things about some reports the blonde had worked on during the mayor's absence and Emma was relieved that she had not screwed up completely by doing so.

The brunette had not specifically said that she had done a good job, but since Regina had not ripped her head off either, it was kind of obvious.

Once they were done Emma stood up, ready to leave, _"Thank you for helping me today, Regina. I wouldn't have been able to stop myself."_

_"I already told you, Miss Swan. You can't fail. Henry needs someone to look after him."_

The mayor's voice was bitter, sad even.

_"What do mean? He has you to look after him already."_ Now Emma was confused and worried. What was that about?

_"Listen, Miss Swan. We are both dealing with the same problem here…our darkened hearts. And one of us will lose this battle one day. I think it's obvious that it will be me. I've always lost…and when people like you, who are basically good, can lose…what chance do I have in succeeding?"_

The blonde was taken aback by the mayor's statement. Did Regina really believe that?

_"You know, Regina…we could always help each other."_

_"And why would you do that, Miss Swan? Help me…of all people." _The mayor stared at Emma, watching her closely like a snake would watch a mouse.

_"Regina, you know that Henry wants us both to get better. He wants some sort of a family and he deserves that. As weird as it will be. I know that you don't trust anyone, especially not me, but we could at least try…we got along before you left. Maybe not perfectly, but we made progress. You might not believe me, but I have no intention to hurt you."_

The answer was a bitter laugh,_ "Everybody hurts you, everybody is lying to you…or at least hiding the truth. You should get used to it, Miss Swan. Nobody can be trusted."_

And that was the moment when Emma Swan realized that she had to tell Regina, that she had to prove the mayor that she was wrong in her assumptions. The blonde also knew that it might be the most stupid idea she ever had, but it was the only way of showing Regina that she wanted to be honest with her, no matter what.

_"Uhm...I don't know how to start…but there is something I have to tell you, Madame Mayor."_


	17. Chapter 17

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 17**

_"Is that so, Miss Swan?"_ The mayor's eyes darkened and Emma realized that she was getting really nervous.

This was a bad idea and it would backfire at her, but she had to tell Regina none-the-less.

She owed the brunette the truth, it simply was her only chance to make things better in the long run, although Emma was sure that Regina would hate her for a while before that would happen.

_"First of all I want to say that I would have never done that if it hadn't been an emergency…but you were gone and Henry was crying…he was so worried and we wanted to find you, let you know that you could come back home and…"_

Emma stopped for a second, taking a quick glimpse at Regina, but when the mayor did not say a word she continued,_ "We were at the mansion…Henry and I…and he fell asleep on the couch and I…we were looking for some sort of hint, a phone number, an address or something…o contact you. Well, you won't be surprisd that we didn't find anything…but I found…I found…the leather…to book…your…your diary. And as I said…we were looking for something to find you…so I've read some of the pages…just a few…I know I shouldn't have, Regina. I'm sorry. But I was desperate…Henry was worried sick and…"_

_"Get out."_

It was barely a whisper, but it was perfectly clear that Regina meant it.

Emma gulped and headed for the door without arguing. She had expected the brunette to get mad as hell, to yell at her like never before, but Regina had been quite. Way too quite.

There was a storm coming – definitely.

* * *

Regina had left her office only a minute later and had went straight for the mansion.

Once at home she had locked herself up in her study immediately and then she had started to scream.

She had stayed "calm" all the way home, but now, within the safety of her house, she could not stop herself from falling apart.

She was shaking like a leaf and she did not know what to do.

Emma Swan had read her diary. The diary she had kept a secret since the day her father had given it to her.

Regina felt betrayed once again, but that was not even the worst.

She felt exposed.

Now Emma knew everything.

How weak she was, how much she had really suffered. How people had used her all her life. That she had never been able to defend herself.

Emma Swan had no right to do this. To enter the hidden world of her emotions without her permission.

Now the blonde could use all of it against her and she would lose the last sparkle of light in her life.

So, after Snow White had turned her life into a living hell, it was her daughter's turn now.

Regina knew she should get prepared, but she was in such a weird state of mind, that she could not even get up from her chair.

A part of her was furious, but another part of her was scared.

Now that Emma knew how broken she was the blonde could try to get full custody for Henry and she would not stand a chance.

* * *

It was almost 10 pm when a knock on the door made Emma jump.

Who could that be?

Stumbling over she pulled the door open in a hurry, just to find her son standing there, highly upset and obviously worried.

He stormed into the room quickly and once Emma had closed the door he growled angrily, _"What did you do now?"_

_"What are you talking about, kid?"_

_"Mom has locked herself in her study. She is in there since hours and I don't know what's wrong. I knocked countless times, but she did not even respond. So, what did you do now?"_

_"I…I didn't do anything"_, she tried to defend herself, but Henry just shot her a glare and so Emma continued,_ "Well…I might have read something I shouldn't have. But I thought I better tell her…because I…I tend to blurt stuff out…when I argue or get upset…or something like that…so I thought before she finds out like that..I should tell her…be honest and stuff, you know?"_

_"I guess you screwed up."_

_"Yeah, I guess I did, kid. Come on, let's go. I'll try to fix it."_

But Emma was aware of the fact that the chances were beyond low. Because if there was one thing about Regina she knew for sure, then it was that the brunette did not trust anyone. That she always expected the worst from people.

* * *

Henry had let them in and Emma had told him to go up to his room because this was something between grown ups.

He had rolled his eyes at the comment, but had headed upstairs anyway.

And now Emma was standing in front of the study door, all by herself and she wished she had not sent Henry away. Regina would not kill her while he was around, but without him – well, that would be a different story.

But Henry had nothing to do with this new disaster, so she would keep him out of it and deal with it on her own.

_"Regina, open the door. I really need to talk to you."_

* * *

Regina closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Of course Henry had went straight for Emma and had brought her into her house once again.

_"Regina, open the damn door! You are scaring your son!"_

Emma's voice had gotten louder and although she did not want to talk to the blonde, the mayor knew that she had to or the sheriff would crack the door open at some point.

Regina stalked over to said door and opened it quickly,_ "What could you possibly want now?"_

_"Henry came over and told me you locked yourself up in there for hours. He was worried and I came to check if you are okay"_, Emma tried to face the mayor, but had to look away because of Regina's intense stare.

_"Well, isn't that nice? Why don't you go upstairs and check my diary for the answer."_ The brunette snapped and wanted to close the door again, but Emma stopped her by putting her foot between the door and the doorframe.

_"Regina, please. Let me explain. Just give me five minutes."_

_"You've got two."_

* * *

Sitting on the couch of the study once again Emma got overwhelmed by a rush of emotions and her memories, but she regained her concentration quickly.

_"So?"_

Regina had sat back down in her chair and waited impatiently for the explanation, which would be nothing, but a lie.

_"Listen, Regina. I'm deeply sorry…I know I shouldn't have read your diary. But can't you understand that I was desperate? Henry was hurting when you didn't come back. I just wanted to find something to bring you home…and I haven't read much. It's were just a few pages."_

_"I bet you laughed your head off, Miss Swan."_

_"What? Do you really think that I found any of what I've read funny? What happened to you is horrible…I can't even imagine…"_

Emma was shocked by the mayor's comment. Did Regina really think that bad about her?

_"That is right, Miss Swan. You can't even imagine. And you had no right to…" _The brunette could not go on speaking because she realized that her voice was trembling.

_"I get that you are scared, Regina. I really get that. You don't want to trust people because you've been hurt so much in the past. That's understandable. But you have to stop treating me like I would be the enemy because I am not."_ Emma finally managed to look Regina straight in the eyes and when she saw the insecurity and the fear in them she added,_ "I didn't tell anyone about what I have read. Not even Henry knows. You might not believe me, but I would never do that. I'm not that kind of person. I know that you think I will take Henry away from you, but that's not my intention. I just want to get along because we could…if we really tried."_

Regina was surprised by Emma's statement because the blonde seemed to know exactly what was going on in her head, which made everything even worse. Because now she could not hide anything from Emma anymore. To the blonde she was an open book now.

On the other side the mayor was relieved because the blonde had not been lying to her. She did not know why she knew it, she just did. And when Emma had told her that she still wanted to get along it had hit Regina that the blonde obviously did not care how broken she was.

All of this scared the mayor even more and at the same time she was pleased. Maybe they would find their routine again. One day.

But first she needed time to adjust to everything that had been revealed lately because she was not used to be surrounded by people, who were able to look straight through her walls.

_"Can you promise me that you will never use these things against me? The things you're read in my journal…Can you promise that, Miss Swan?"_

Regina had to know because this whole situation was so bizarre and she was close to losing her mind.

_"To be honest…I can't"_. She had not wanted to lie to the mayor, but when she saw how Regina's face fell at her answer, Emma decided to explain,_ "I can promise you that I will never use it to intentionally hurt you. But you know me, Regina….sometimes I talk before I think and I blurt stuff out…but I will never tell anyone. You have my word…even if that doesn't mean anything to you."_

_"Leave now, Miss Swan. It's late."_

Emma did not want to argue, so she stood up and headed for the door, but turned around again,_ "Will we ever be okay? I mean…will we ever be able to be the parents Henry wants us to be?"_

Regina watched her for a few seconds before she sighed, _"I don't_ know."

* * *

It took the mayor forever to fall asleep that night.

She knew that Emma had told her the truth although she still could not explain why she was so sure about it.

But the evil part of her had started whispering once again, telling her that The Savior would tell her anything to trick her, that she would lose Henry if she started to trust Emma at all.

And as much as Regina tried to shove the dark thoughts away, she did not succeed. One day her own inner battle would drive her crazy if she would not find a way to stop it and she started to wonder how Cora had dealt with her darkened heart because her mother had never struggled like that.

* * *

Emma was not able to close her eyes at all.

She was not sure if Regina had believed her or if the mayor ever would. How were they supposed to get along without the slightest sparkle of trust? She needed to find a way to make Regina see that she was serious about the whole "family" thing. And she also had to explain to the brunette what being a family meant although Emma was not even sure if she knew what it meant herself.

The whole situation was so complicated and seemed to be insolvable.

She had to have a talk with Henry the next day because they had to do something. They had to convince Regina that there was a real chance for her, for all of them. Especially since Henry and Emma were willing to try.

In the end it all depended on Regina.

And that was the reason why Emma was not sure if they would ever succeed, but she was not ready to give up without a fight, simply because having a family of her own was too tempting.


	18. Chapter 18

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 18**

Emma had picked Henry up after school the next day.

She really needed to talk to him, needed to make a plan because she would not give up on Regina just yet.

Now that they were sitting at the diner once again, Emma tried to explain to her son that they needed to find something to show Regina that both of them really cared about her.

She knew it would not be easy because the mayor was kind of paranoid when it came to trusting people, but there was no chance without a little faith.

And they also needed to give Regina the trust in herself back because the brunette had convinced herself that she had no worth at all because of her past and also because people refused to give her a chance.

Emma was aware of the fact that putting her faith in Regina could backfire at her terribly, but she had to try none-the-less, simply because that was how the thing with trust worked. It had to be mutual.

How could she possibly expect trust from Regina if she was not willing to give her the same?

The blonde had no idea where to start or how to get it to work, but there had to be a way.

_"Mom loves horses. Maybe we can take her horseback riding?"_ Henry's suggestion came out of the blue and Emma frowned, _"Well, there is just one problem, kid. Regina might like them, but I don't."_

_"Yeah…and that is exactly why we should do it. Wouldn't it prove to mom that we were trying…especially since you would do something you don't like…but you'd do it because it is important to her"_, he reasoned thoughtfully and Emma had to chuckle although she still was not happy about the horses, simply because her son reminded her so much of Regina. When Henry would be older he would make a hell of a lawyer or maybe he would become the mayor of Storybrooke one day. He clearly would be unbeatable when it came to arguments and discussions – like his mother.

_"I'll think about it, okay?" _Emma watched her son, waiting for a reaction. There was still a chance to find something a little less scary than horseback riding.

_"Sure. We could always go for another camping trip"_, he began to giggle immediately.

_"No, I don't think so, kid. We want to convince your mom that she can trust us, not scare her to death."_

And yet Emma had to laugh at the memory of their camping experience because it had been too funny to watch Regina stalk around in the woods, cursing like a sailor.

_"Then we really should go with the horses. I know she hasn't been at stables for years…I bet she would love to go there."_ Henry looked at Emma pleadingly and when the blonde let out a frustrated sigh he started grinning because he knew he had won once again.

* * *

When Regina had received the text from Emma, telling her that the blonde would pick up Henry from school, the mayor had been relieved because she would not be able to leave the office early that day.

She was stuck with tons of paperwork and she would rather do it now to have the weekend off, because that would give her the opportunity to spend time with Henry.

But now that she took a look at the clock she recognized that she had gotten lost in her work for too long, because it was almost seven and she should be home by now, cooking dinner for her son.

She put the folders together quickly to take them home with her when a knock on the door startled the mayor.

Who the hell could that be now?

_"Hey mom!"_ Henry stormed into her office and hugged her the second he reached her.

Emma was leaning in the doorframe, taking in the sight, a small smile on her face.

_"What are you doing here?"_ Regina looked down at her son, then over to Emma and back.

Before Emma could open her mouth, their son was already explaining, _"We came to invite you to dinner."_

_"Well, that's really nice of you, sweetheart. But I can't. I have too much work to do. Maybe another time. We need to go home now…I'll make you something to eat, but then I have to go back to these folders"_, Regina pointed at the pile on her desk.

_"Oh…okay…but before we go…Emma wants to ask you something too."_ Henry was disappointed, but he recovered quickly because he was on a mission. He nodded at Emma and hoped that Regina would not decline the invitation, which was about to come, too.

_"Quick, Miss Swan. I'm in a hurry."_

_"Uhm…well…we…Henry and I were…we were wondering if you already have plans for…for Saturday?"_ Emma was nervous as hell. She did not know if Regina had believed her a word last night, but obviously she had not because the mayor tried to keep her on distance – once again.

_"I don't know yet. Depends on work. If something comes up…but I'm sure you understand that, Sheriff."_ The mayor sounded casual, a little bit cold even.

_"Of course. Just let me know. Good night, Henry. Good night, Madame Mayor."_

Emma's shoulders had fallen at Regina's comment and she was about to leave, but the brunette's words stopped her.

_"Just in case I would have time. What's on the schedule, Miss Swan?"_

The blonde was too startled to answer, but Henry saved her immediately, _"That's a surprise, mom. So you better make sure that you have time. You won't regret it."_

* * *

Emma had visited her parents after she had left the Mayor's office because she had felt like she owed them an apology for her behavior during te last weeks.

They had eaten dinner together and the blonde had enjoyed the company of Mary Margaret and David for a change.

At least until her father had brought the one topic up she had not wanted to talk about, especially not with them.

Regina Mills.

As soon as David had begun his rant about The Evil Queen Emma had shut down.

And then she had felt the darkness of her thoughts rising once again and she had stormed out of the apartment without another word.

* * *

Regina was sitting in her study, reading reports, but she could not concentrate.

Henry had not lost a single word about his and Emma's plans for Saturday and since he had went to bed about an hour ago she could not even ask him, but Regina died to know.

A part of her wished that she would be bold enough to join them and have a good time. That part also thought that this family thing was worth a shot, that she should try to trust Emma Swan, but the bigger part of her was convincing her that it would be a mistake. There had to be some plan behind this newfound willingness to try and be better. Nobody would be nice to her without expecting something in return.

Regina was so tired of this inner battle, of her own inability to trust people. She was tired of all the pain, tired of the life she was leading.

But she was not strong enough to change it.

At least she would not be able to do it alone, so why couldn't she take the offered hand and get out of the darkness after all these years?

It was about time, wasn't it?

She was aware of the fact that it might be her only chance of escape, of survival and yet she could not bring herself to accept Emma Swan's help.

Because the fear of getting hurt, of getting betrayed once again was stronger than anything.

* * *

Emma was sitting in her hotel room, breathing hard.

She tried to get herself under control since she had headed out of the Charmings apartment, but she was not really making progress and she cursed her father for indicating this shit once again.

Why couldn't he stop? She had enough of this ongoing war between her parents and Regina because it was stupid. Everyone of them had made their mistakes in the past, but that was exactly the point. It was all in the past. None of it was a current topic.

Something had to be done because Emma knew if they would not stop this ongoing fight, all of them, she would lose the battle against the darkness sooner or later.

Since that strain of thought was not helping at all Emma tried to remember the sound of Regina's voice because the mayor's words always did the trick, together with her memories and after a while her breathing really slowed down. So did her heart and her mind.

Emma fell onto her bed, worn out and exhausted, glad that she had succeeded after all because she had been worried that she would not.

Regina seemed to be able to calm her down all the time, so why did the mayor refuse to let Emma help her as well. It did not make any sense to Emma because she was almost sure that she would be able to help Regina.

But it did not look as if the brunette would come around anytime soon.

* * *

Emma Swan was frustrated.

She had invited Regina for coffee, dinner, a walk with Henry and countless other things over the last couple of days, but the mayor had not accepted once.

Why had Regina to make this so hard for her?

She was really trying to make their family work.

It might be the weirdest family the world had ever seen, but they could be a family none-the-less.

The mayor also had not responded to the offer of spending Saturday with Emma and their son and Emma was getting mad.

Why had Regina to be so damn stubborn? Why couldn't she make their lives a little easier?

When Emma had not heard from the mayor till lunchtime on Friday, she headed over to the Mayor's office. She would not let Regina get away that easy.

She did not even bother knocking because the mayor might would have sent her away without even listening to her, but this time Emma would make sure that Regina understood her message.

_"What the hell are you doing in my office…again?!"_

Regina had jumped when the door had swung open unexpectedly, but as soon as she had caught sight of the blonde she had rolled her course. Who else would dare to storm into her office like that?

_"I wouldn't be here if you would talk to me. If you would stop refusing to spend time with me and our son. What's wrong with you? We are really trying here, can't you see that?"_

Emma stood right in front of the mayor's desk, staring into the brown eyes of a furious Regina Mills.

_"I'm busy. What's so hard to understand about that, Miss Swan?"_

_"Come on, Regina. You are the mayor. If you want to make time for your son, you make time. Nobody could stop you…so, what's the problem? Me? Because then just say so…and don't keep telling Henry that we would spend time together…soon. Don't get his hopes up all the time if you have no intention to make it happen."_

Emma was furious as well. This time she would not stay calm, she would not back down either.

Regina glared at her, her eyes dark and sparkling, but the mayor did not say a word.

_"What are you so afraid of? That you could be happy for a moment? I thought that's what you wanted? Didn't you want to be happy…and free?"_

_"Miss Swan…you have no idea what I want…you have no idea who I am."_

It was just a growl and Regina had to try her hardest not to freak out.

_"I guess I've gotten quite an idea, who you really are…when I read in your diary. Maybe you should take a look at it yourself…because obviously it is you, who has no idea, who you are…who you could be."_

That said Emma stormed out of the office because she knew that she had taken it too far. She had promised Regina the other day to never use her knowledge against her, at least not like that. But on the other hand Emma believed that she had done the right thing because Regina needed to remember.

Regina needed to remember her life before the darkness had taken over.


	19. Chapter 19

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 19**

Regina could not move.

She sat in her chair like a statue, too overwhelmed by her emotions, too overwhelmed to even blink.

Emma Swan had slapped her right in the face.

Maybe not physically, but mentally.

And although the mayor was furious that the blonde had broken her promise that easily, Regina was also hurt.

Emma's words had truly hurt her and the mayor was not sure how to deal with it.

Because a part of her screamed for revenge. It was also that part of her, that wanted to make Emma Swan suffer, but the other part of Regina wanted nothing, but to hide.

Once again she felt weak and defenseless.

Exposed.

Emma had succeeded where everyone else had failed, not that a lot people would have ever tried.

Emma Swan had figured her out.

And Regina knew she was doomed once again.

It would be so easy for the blonde to take her down now that she could read her, look straight through her walls – without any trouble.

* * *

Emma was struggling to make it back to her room because she knew that she would lose control any second.

She cursed herself because this time she could blame no one, except for herself.

Why hadn't she been able to keep her mouth shut for once?

Of course she had to blurt it out, of course she had to do what Regina had feared the most. She had used the knowledge of her indiscretion against the mayor.

When she finally arrived at Granny's Bed & Breakfast, Emma was close to losing her mind.

Blaming herself clearly made things worse.

She climbed the stairs in a hurry, stormed into her room and locked it quickly, aware of the fact that focusing alone would not be enough today.

* * *

Regina had went home once she had pulled herself back together. There was no point in trying to get some more work done after the "incident" with Emma.

Henry had been watching cartoons when she had entered the mansion and for once she was glad that he did not pay too much attention to her because she needed time to think.

What should she do now?

Emma had tried to start something the last couple of days, but she had always declined because although Regina longed for some sort of a family, she had not been sure if the blonde could be trusted.

And today Emma had proven her right about that assumption, hadn't she?

But what if the blonde was the one, who was right? Was it possible that she really had forgotten who she was?

The thought had started to haunt her the second Emma had left her office and she had to know.

* * *

Emma could not stand all the thoughts and voices in her head anymore. It was getting worse with every minute and she saw all these horrible pictures of Cora's chopped off head, of Rumplestiltskin's grimace. She could even her him laugh one of his insane laughs.

And there were pictures flickering in front of her eyes of Henry, Mary Margaret, David, Ruby and Regina. All of them were dead, had died through her hand.

She could not take this anymore. She had to stop it. Had to make all those thoughts go away.

Emma was so unbelievably desperate because she knew that only Regina would be able to help her, but she doubted that the mayor would talk to her after what had happened earlier today.

She had to do it on her own, she just did not know how.

* * *

Regina could not hold the tears back any longer.

Reading her own diary, remembering everything that had happened to her, made her feel sorry for herself. She hated the moments when she drowned in self-pity, but today she did not care.

Not even the fact that she felt weaker than ever did bother her.

Emma had been right.

She had forgotten, who she had been, who she had wanted to be.

Her love, her life had been taken away from her and she had been blinded by the anger that she had indeed forgotten about her dreams.

But then Regina realized that there was just one entry left. The one she had written after she had killed her father. She had written it before she had set The Dark Curse free.

She could not bear to read it, at least not before Henry would be sleeping.

* * *

Emma was tired of fighting against herself. She was exhausted and seeing all these horrible pictures was so unbelievably painful, it did truly hurt.

And since there was no escape this time, simply because she could not manage to concentrate for more than a second at a time, she had to knock herself out.

It seemed to be the only way, so Emma stepped back and then she ran forward, hitting her head against the wall.

She dropped to the floor immediately, the pain in her head unbearable as if she had cracked it open and Emma knew that it would not work as she had planned to. She would lose consciousness and then she would be caught in this nightmare because the dark thoughts did not disappear, but they grew stronger with the pain.

But before she could have done anything about it, everything in front of her eyes went black.

* * *

Regina and Henry had eaten dinner in silence, but she had recognized that her son had made an attempt to say something countless times, but he had not dared to actually say what was on his mind.

But the mayor knew it none-the-less.

It had to be about Henry's and Emma's secret plan for the upcoming day and that was why Regina had not said anything herself.

How should she explain to her son that she could not spend time with him when Emma was around? How should she tell him that she wanted nothing more than an actual family, no matter how weird of a family it would be, but that it was the exact reason why she could not do this.

Simply because nothing had ever worked out for her and she was too scared that if she would let it happen, something would come up and take it from her again.

Regina knew that she did not deserve any of this, that she had done nothing to deserve a second chance. Maybe she was punishing herself for something that could not be undone, but she had no right to expect something good happening to her after what she had done.

She had learned that while she had been away from Storybrooke and that revelation had been no fun. Not at all.

And so Henry had went to bed without a conversation, but the disappointment in his eyes had been unmistakable.

Regina had went straight for her bedroom and had read the last diary entry to remind herself why things were the way they were and why they could never change, but to her own surprise it had upset her so much that it had put her completely off track and she had started to wonder if Emma had read that too?

But she was sure that the blonde had not, because otherwise she would refuse to talk to Regina, she would try to take Henry away from her, wouldn't she?

She had to know for sure though and so Regina headed down to her car although it did not make any sense to her. Why did it matter? Why was it so important for her to know if Emma had read the darkest of entries?

* * *

When Emma finally recovered conscious she realized that somebody was hammering against her door.

She tried to remember how long she had been out by looking at the clock, but everything in front of her eyes was blurry and so she tried to get up instead, which seemed to be much harder than expected.

It took her a while till she was on her feet, when the hammering on her door started again.

_"Open the damn door, Miss Swan! I know you are in there!"_

Regina.

What was she doing here?

Emma was staggering slightly, but she made it over to the door slowly. She stumbled twice, but found enough balance to stop herself from falling.

The whole "knocking herself out" had been a stupid idea because she had been caught in an endless nightmare, that had not stopped before she had come around.

And now her head was hurting badly and all the pictures were burned into her memory forever.

Classic fail.

When she finally managed to grab the door-knob, Emma remembered that she had locked the door when she had come home.

She unlocked it quickly and pulled to door open, almost hitting herself with it in the process, to meet the furiously looking mayor, who inhaled deeply as soon as she caught sight of her.

Did she really look that bad?

* * *

_"What on earth happened to you?"_

Regina was shocked when she saw in what a terrible shape the blonde was.

Emma's right eye was bruised and swollen, but the bruising also had spread to her cheek and temple.

_"I…I couldn't stop my thoughts…I got so carried away and then…I was so close to lose control and I…I knocked myself out…I headed straight against the…the…wall." _Emma had thought about telling the mayor a lie, but the pain in her head had made it impossible to come up with something, so there had been nothing left, but the truth.

The blonde was not really steady on her feet and so Regina shoved her backwards. Emma had to lie down.

_ "You did what? You ran into a wall?"_ The mayor could not believe it. That had to be the most stupid idea ever. Emma obviously had been really desperate to do such a thing as hitting a wall with her head on purpose.

_"Sit down and I'll call Doctor Whale. He needs to check on you."_

_"No, don't call anyone, Regina. I'll be fine."_

_"You are not fine, Miss Swan. You could have suffered a concussion or something worse. There is no discussion about this. It's either calling Doctor Whale or going to the hospital. Your choice."_

Regina's tone was more than serious and when Emma sighed in defeat the mayor knew the decision was made.

She pulled her phone out of her coat and dialed a number quickly, informing the doctor about some kind of emergency at Granny's hotel and he promised to be there in a few minutes.

* * *

Regina had headed down to see if Granny had some ice cubes to cool Emma's face and by the time she returned to the room, Whale was already there, examining the blonde.

The mayor watched the scenery carefully and waited impatiently till the doctor was done before she handed Emma the bag, which held the ice.

The blonde took it greedily and put it on her bruised face immediately while Whale turned to face Regina, giving her some pills, "Emma has to take two of these before she goes to sleep. And somebody has to wake her from time to time during the night to make sure she is okay. If she starts to puke or talk weird or something like that you have to take her to the hospital. I'm pretty sure it's "just" a concussion, but you'll never know without a CT."

The mayor nodded in understanding and Whale packed his bag, ready to leave, "I hope you feel better soon, Miss Swan. Take one of the pills I'm leaving here for you whenever the pains gets too strong."

And with that he left the room.

* * *

Regina took one of the chairs and moved it next to the bed, in which Emma was sitting, leaning against the backplane, eyes closed.

_"Why did you come here, Regina?"_

_"Forget about it, Miss Swan. It's not important."_ The mayor tried to sound casual, but she was still shocked about Emma's actions.

_"Sure. That's why you came over in the middle of the night…because it's not important. No games tonight, Regina. Just tell me."_

The blonde opened her eyes and looked straight into the brown ones of the mayor, showing that she was absolutely serious.

_"Fine…I took a look into my diary when I came home and I just wondered if you have read the last entry…"_

_"No, I haven't. I told you…I just read a few pages"_, the blonde was confused. What was that about?

_"That's what I thought."_ The disappointment in Regina's voice could not be overheard.

_"Care to tell me what this is about?"_

Now Emma was more than just irritated. Was the brunette's behavior really strange or was it the headache that drove her crazy?

When Regina did not react Emma put the bag with the ice cubes down and reached out her hand slowly, _"Can I…can I read it?"_

The mayor frowned at the thought of the blonde reading in her diary once again. But this time it was because of the fact that Regina feared that Emma would run for the hills if she would allow it.

She hesitated for a while, but in the end she decided that she had nothing to lose and it would be better to scare the blonde off now instead of becoming a "family" and Emma running away later because one day she would see her for who she really was – The Evil Queen.

* * *

Emma could not believe that Regina had given her the diary for real, but since she held it in hands it had to be true.

And so she began to read, aware of the fact that it was not so easy with only one eye and her aching head for sure did not help either, but she knew that was her only chance and if she would not take it she probably would never get another one.

_'Dear Diary,_

_I am lost._

_Tonight will change my life forever. I will put The Dark Curse onto this world because I am tired of it. I am tired of being feared and hated by everyone. I know it is my own fault that things are this way, but they have made me turn into my evil self._

_All I ever wanted was to be happy, to be free. I wanted to find True Love, but back then I was a naïve child._

_None of this is for me. It seems mother was right after all – love is weakness._

_I have done a lot of terrible things, but ripping my father's heart out is by far the worst._

_But I had no choice – it is the only way to activate the curse._

_A curse that will take the happy endings away – from everyone._

_I have suffered for so long, it is time the others suffer too. If I am drowning I take them with me – I will not get down alone._

_Instead of a heart there is a hole in my chest or at least that is how I feel. The only remaining feeling is hate._

_I want people to pay for what they have done to me, I want revenge and I do not care about the people, who have never hurt me. They have to suffer too, because I want them to. I cannot stand seeing happy people, I want them to be miserable._

_Nobody has ever cared that I was an innocent girl once as well and now I do not care about anything anymore._

_I want them to bleed, all of them._

_They will be doomed in a world without happy endings, a world without True Love – they will be brought into a world without hope._

_I guess that is the worst that can happen to anyone._

_To lose hope._

_And yet I feel that it is not nearly enough punishment._

_It will never be enough._

_After tonight there will not be a way back, for no one. I know my happy ending will be that no one else will get one – I will make sure of that._

_If something will start to blossom I will burn it to the ground._

_I will forever be The Evil Queen._

_Regina'_

* * *

Emma breathed hard.

Regina had lost herself indeed, but she was sure there had to be a way back for her. If the curse could have been broken, there would also be a way for Regina.

There had to be.

She knew this was kind of a test, that it was Regina's way to scare her off, but this time she would not fail.

_"So, Miss Swan…since you know the truth now…are you still up for this whole family thing?"_

Regina, who had watched Emma during the whole process of reading through the entry, asked provokingly, sure that she knew the answer.

Emma looked up to meet Regina's eyes, to make the mayor see that she meant what she said, that she had not the slightest of doubts, "Absolutely."


	20. Chapter 20

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 20**

Regina did not know what to do or say for the matter.

She was still angry at Emma, but the blonde's response had caught her by surprise none-the-less.

The mayor had been so sure that she would know the answer, had been convinced that Emma would take the offered escape, but she had not.

And her voice had made it more than clear that she had not even a single doubt about it.

Emma Swan really wanted this, wanted to build a family - with her.

Regina simply could not believe it and less than that she could understand it.

Why on earth would somebody give her a chance? A real chance?

Maybe Emma was still in shock or she had hurt her head worse than expected.

Maybe she would change her mind once she would be able to think clearly.

Maybe not.

A sudden knock on the door snapped Regina out of her thoughts and Emma looked at her in confusion.

_"Well, Miss Swan...I called Miss Lucas to watch over you tonight. As tempting as it would be to do it myself...I have a son to get home to."_

Regina had tried to sound casual, but she could not hide the sarcasmn in her voice.

The mayor got up to answer the door and once Ruby was seated she explained quickly what she had to pay attention to.

The bubble gum chewing woman in the chair grinned,_ "Don't worry, Mayor Mills...the sheriff is in the best hands. We'll have a lot of fun tonight, right Em?"_

Emma recognized the darkening expression on Regina's face right away and wanted to hide under the covers, but she knew that would make things only worse.

_"Very well. Good night, Miss Lucas. Good night, Miss Swan."_

The mayor had growled through gritted teeth and turned around to leave.

The blonde took a deep breath, simply because it was now or never, _"Will you be joining me and Henry tomorrow, Madame Mayor?"_

Regina faced her once again, _"I'm not even sure if you'll be able to get out of bed tomorrow."_

_"Especially since she is spending the night with me"_, Rubby added with a smirk and the mayor frowned slightly at the comment.

Emma decided to ignore it, at least for now,_ "I'll be fine. So are you in...or not?"_

_"Be at my house at 9.30. Sharp."_

That said Regina left Emma's room for real and the blonde stared at Ruby, who was laughing hard, in disbelief, _"Have you completely lost your mind?!"_

* * *

Regina was pacing around in her mansion the next morning.

It was close to 9 am and she was kind of nervous. She did not believe for a second that Emma Swan would show up, but one could never know because the blonde tended to be unpredictable.

But in her mind there was no way that Emma would not take the offered escape.

Why would somebody give her a chance? A real chance.

Emma would not show up, no matter what the reason would be. Regina guessed it would be disgust, maybe even fear, but it also could be a terrible headache and the blonde was supposed to have the worst of that this morning.

The moment she saw Henry bouncing down the stairs with a bright smile on his face, Regina's heart broke for her son. He would be devastated if Emma would not show up and for a second she deliberated whether to tell him right away that there was a fair chance that the blonde would not show up, but decided against it in the end.

She would deal with it when the time came, but first breakfast was in order.

* * *

Emma was proud of herself that she had made it over to the mansion on time.

Her head was hurting like hell and she was wearing sunglasses to cover her black eye, at least a little.

She had a hard time getting up and she could not concentrate for too long, but she would not miss out on spending time with Henry. And Regina.

Emma knocked and the door opened just a few seconds later and to the blonde's amusement the mayor indeed looked surprised, startled even.

She had suspected that Regina would not count on her appearance, but seeing the disbelieving expression on the brunette's face made Emma smile,_ "What? Did you really think I would miss out on a chance to spend time with my weird family?"_

_"Good morning, Miss Swan. I have to admit...I didn't think you would make it, but you are proving once again that the stubborness runs in the family."_

Right that moment Henry stormed out, all excited, but stopped dead in his tracks when he caught sight of the blonde's face, _"What happened? Are you okay?"_

_"I'm fine, kid. I...well I got a bit angry last night...and I...I hit the wall."_

_"With your head?"_ He looked at Emma in disbelief and utter confusion.

_"I know. It hasn't been my smartest idea."_ The blone shrugged apologetically.

_"I'd say it was rather stupid."_ Henry watched Emma frown and Regina laugh at his statement.

Yeah, it was going to be a weird day.

* * *

Henry and Emma had told Regina to not wear heels this time and although the mayor had glared at them in disapproval she had chosen brown leather boots in the end.

She remembered the uncomfortable walk through the woods from her first and last camping experience all too well.

Since the blonde had not been able to drive Henry had told her that they were going to the stables.

First Regina had wanted to ask what they would be doing there, but had swallowed the urge to question everything in the end, she simply did not want to ruin her son's plan after all.

But now that they had arrived Regina could not stop herself from wondering what this was about. Henry had never shown the slightest interest in horses and from the sceptical look on Emma's face the blonde was not very fond of them either.

_"Mom, hurry. I can't be late for my first riding lesson."_

_"Your what?"_ Regina was really confused now. Her son wanted to take riding lessons? That was just crazy.

* * *

Regina had listened to the instructions of the riding teacher for a few minutes, but then she had decided to take a walk around the stables. She had not been here in forever and she was not sure if she was happy about the fact that her son and Emma had brought her back.

Sure, she had always loved horses, but there were too many painful memories attached to them.

Emma had promised to stay by Henry's side until she would come back and so she had taken off to sort out her thoughts because she knew that her son had meant well.

She had not planned on going there, but the paddocks had caught her attention after all and somehow Regina could not stay away. Watching the horses grazing gave her an unexpected feeling of peace and then she saw one horse, all by itself, in the paddock farthest from the stables and she got curious.

* * *

Emma was sitting on a bench, watching Henry, who was brushing the pony he was supposed to ride on later and she wondered where Regina had gone to.

The brunette had not seemed too happy about being at the stables and she thought she knew why. It had to be hard for Regina to face some of her demons because Emma was quite sure that being around all of these horses would bring a lot of memories back. And she doubted that it would be a lot of good ones.

When the riding teacher told her that Henry's lesson would start soon Emma decided to go and look for Regina because she did not want the brunette to miss out on it.

* * *

Regina was leaning against the paddock, watching the bay colored stallion. Its long, black mane covered the right side of its head, but she could see that there had to be something wrong with it none-the-less.

The stallion had stepped back the closer she had come and Regina wondered why the horse seemed to be so frightened.

Now that she had found a comfortable spot and did not move anymore the stallion calmed down a little and she smiled satisfied.

When Regina heard steps behind her she knew that it had to be Emma, but she kept her eyes on the stallion, which started to work himself up once again.

He had to be a haunted soul as well.

The closer the footsteps came the more hysterical the horse got. It started to rush from one corner to the next and back and Regina could see how elegant and graceful it was, how much strength it had.

It truly was one beautiful horse and she smiled again. For a moment she simply had forgotten about all the sadness that came along with her memories.

_"I did not mean to disturb you, Regina...but Henry's lesson starts in a few minutes and I thought you might want to watch."_

* * *

It had been a nice day at the stables in the end, much to Regina's surprise. She had enjoyed witnessing her son's first time riding a pony and she had felt so unbelievably proud.

Henry had reminded her so much about herself and he must have enjoyed the whole experience because he had asked her if they could come back soon.

Emma had stayed sceptical the whole time and when Henry had told her that she could feed the ponies with some carrots the blonde had almost ran off. Regina had tried her hardest not to start laughing, but she had failed miserably.

And she was thankful that the blonde and Henry had helped her to create some new memories, good ones in fact.

* * *

Emma was lost in thought on their drive to Granny's. She had convinced Regina to have dinner at the diner, but as soon as she had fallen into the passenger seat her thoughts had drifted off, but not to their usual dark spot.

She was actually thinking about the sight of a laughing Regina Mills. The mayor had looked relax and free, it had been beautiful to watch. Even if the brunette had laughed about her.

And Emma had decided right then and there that she would do anything to make Regina laugh like that more often.

She had also recognized that Regina had been fascinated by that one horse in the paddock, but Emma did not understand why because it seemed to be crazy.

* * *

The second they entered the diner every other guest went silent and Emma could barely hide her annoyance.

Henry sat done in the booth in the corner, obviously sensing that he and his mothers should stay away from the rest of town and Emma smiled at him, proud of her son, who seemed to be so much smarter than the rest of Storybrooke.

Once they were seated Ruby came over to take their orders and Emma relaxed a bit, but then she saw, out of the corner of her eye, that Leroy and Doctor Whale came over to their table and the blonde knew that this would mean trouble.

_"Get the hell out of here! Nobody wants to see you...or eat in the same room as you, Regina"_ Leroy's grumbling tone made Emma mad immediately.

_"I agree. It might be better if you would leave this town alone. People are working hard all day. They deserve to have some peace."_ Whale looked at the mayor provokingly.

Emma was ready to jump at the men, but Regina held her back, _"Don't. Not in front of Henry, I really appreciate the gesture, Emma, but it might be better if I get going."_

_"You are staying, Regina. No discussion about that"_, and with that the blonde got up, facing Leroy and Whale, a furious expression on her face, _"And you two...if you ever cause a scene in front of Henry again, I will have you arrested. Both of you. He is my son and he is Regina's as well and if we decide to have dinner at Granny's then we'll have dinner_ _at Granny's. We are all citizens of Storybrooke, so we all have the same rights. If you don't like the company then leave. Understood?"_

Leroy and the doctor headed back to their tables without another word and Emma sat down next to Henry, sighing heavily.

Regina realized immediately that the blonde was about to lose control because Emma's eyes were sparkling dangerously and she grabbed her hand without thinking about it, squeezing it tight,_ "Emma, focus. You can't scare Henry. Focus...think about the memory...calm down, it's okay."_

* * *

Emma had calmed down amazingly fast and they had managed to have a nice dinner after all.

Henry deserved the most credit for that though because he had started a conversation about horses with Regina quickly and that had made the brunette relax after a few minutes.

Emma simply had enjoyed to watch the interaction between them and had learned a lot about horses in the process and she was actually glad about it. Because while she still did not understand why some people were so fond of those animals, she had come to realize that horses could be the key none-the-less.

The key to Regina's happiness.

* * *

The mayor had dropped her off at the hotel and Emma had fallen onto her bed as soon as she had arrived in her room.

It had been a great day with some ups and downs, but it still had been a good one.

She was aware that things would not stay that smooth forever because a journey with Regina screamed for trouble and complications, but she did not mind. It was a challenge she was looking forward to because Emma was sure that in the end it would be worth it. It would all pay off – for all of them.

* * *

Regina had been too overwhelmed to fall asleep when she had made it to her bed that night.

She had went through so many different emotions in one day, she could not even believe it.

But she had to admit that it had been a nice day except for the incident at the diner.

Regina would have never expected that Emma would defend her like that, but the blonde clearly had done it for Henry and not really for her, right? Did it really matter why Emma had done it? The blonde definitely had done it to protect what was supposed to be her family.

And Regina was confused.

She was used to being on her own, she was good at that. She never had somebody to truly watch out for her. Sure, it was tempting to let somebody be there for her for once, but she was not sure if she could bear it, simply because she was not good at letting people in, at trusting someone, at having friends, at being a friend.

It was a shocking revelation, but Regina knew it was the painful truth. She had always been alone and now that she had somebody in her life, who obviously cared, at least a little, it scared her to death.

She did not even know what she felt. Was she supposed to feel anything at all?

Worn out from all the thinking Regina Mills found her way to dreamland in the end.

* * *

Emma had made her way over to the Mayor's mansion the next morning again. And she also had made it on time.

She had promised Henry to spend the day with him since Regina had told her son that she had work to do.

But now that Emma saw the brunette standing in front of her, obviously back to being distant, the blonde started to wonder if work was the right thing for Regina, _"Why don't you take a walk with me and Henry before you go to your office?"_

_"Thanks, Miss Swan, but I don't want to intrude."_

_"Don't worry about it. It would be nice to have you with us, don't you think, Henry?"_ Emma was glad that their son appeared on the porch that moment, all excited about the idea, _"Mom, please come."_

* * *

And so Regina had given in.

They were walking in complete silence, simply enjoying the morning and each other's company until they made it to the town harbour. Henry ran off to watch the waves and Emma and Regina sat down on a bench, staring at the water as well.

Neither of them talked – the mayor because she did not know what to say and the blonde because she did not dare to say what she thought.

But after a while of comfortable silence Emma could not stay quiet any longer. She turned to face Regina, waited for her to look at her as well.

At first the mayor refused to, but then, all of a sudden, their eyes met and for a moment both women were so caught up in each other, that they did not even blink.

But then Emma finally found the courage to actually speak, _"Regina, I know this is hard for you...To open up to somebody, to let somebody in. I just want you to know that I'm not going to push you. Take all the time you need. And please know that this isn't easy for me either. I'm aware that things have never worked out for you, but they haven't worked out for me either. I'm scared too...because I want this family more than anything...and not just for Henry, but also for myself. We will make progress, but sometimes we'll also fail. Nothing works out at the first try...and we won't be a family from one day to the next...but maybe...one day. I don't want to screw this up...but I know I have a tendency to do it anyway...but it doesn't keep me from trying...I'm all in...just so you know."_


	21. Chapter 21

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 21**

Regina had enjoyed the walk with Emma and Henry more than she had expected, especially because it had been a silent one.

And she had appreciated Emma's words more than she would ever admit.

The blonde really got her after all because what Regina really needed was some time and space. This whole "becoming a family" – project was a bit too overwhelming and she could not jump into it with both feet without thinking about the consequences.

She wanted it to work, at least for Henry's sake, maybe even a little bit for her own, but what if it would not work out for them?

Henry would be devastated and heartbroken and she would be…well, prbably the same.

Regina never had a real family, a caring one. A family based on respect and supporting one another, a family she could count and hold on to.

Maybe she could have that now with her son and Emma Swan. Maybe not.

Who knew?

She would lose more than ever if they would fail and she was not sure yet if she was actually willing to take that risk.

The mayor was aware of the fact that she should stop worrying so much because there was a pack of reports waiting for her, but she would not be able to concentrate enough to work through them properly, so she left her office and headed for her car.

She really needed to clear her head.

* * *

Meanwhile Emma and Henry had made it over to Granny's to get some hot chocolate and now that they were settled in their favorite booth the blonde sighed heavily.

_"What's wrong?"_

_"Nothing, kid, nothing. I just realized once again…that this whole family thing…it will be a long way to get there…with Regina."_

_"I know, but we won't give up, right?"_ Henry looked at her, obviously worried and Emma gave him a reassuring smile, _"Of course not, kid. We need to give your mom some time though…she will come around when she is ready…pushing her will lead nowhere because as long as Regina doesn't feel safe enough…she won't make a move into our direction."_

_"Okay, but how do we make her feel safe?" _

Emma had known that Henry would ask that question, but she was not sure if she was able to answer it correctly, _"Well...as I said…no pushing. We can't force her into this, kid. You understand that, right?"_ She looked at her son, who nodded quickly and so she continued with her explanation, _"Regina has to do that out of her own free will…she has been manipulated and played her whole life and that's all she knows…that's why she did that to other people too…and it's our job to show your mom that being a family can be a good thing."_

* * *

Regina was standing at the paddock, watching the stallion she had discovered the other day.

She did not know why she had come here of all places, but somehow that horse reminded her of herself.

The stallion had gotten worked up as she had come closer to the paddock, but once Regina had found a comfortable spot to stand at and had stopped moving, the imposing animal had started to calm down a little.

The mayor knew that the slightest movement could be fatal, so she did nothing, but watch the stallion in silence and to her own surprise Regina found that quite comforting.

She stood there for a while and then she recognized that the horse must have gotten curious after all because the stallion made a few steps forward before stopping again, eyeing her cautiously, which caused Regina to smile.

It was the littlest step, but at least it was a step forward.

* * *

Emma and Henry had spent the afternoon at the Charmings apartment and although Mary Margaret had insisted to cook them dinner, the blonde had declined.

The afternoon had been nice and Emma had not wanted to stay for too long because she knew things would get out of control at some point.

And she was not ready for another battle against herself, but once David would start ranting, and at some point he would, Emma would not be able to stop herself from freaking out and there was no way she would risk that, especially not in the presence of her son.

There was another reason for not having dinner with her parents too. It simply would have meant that Regina would have to eat dinner alone and Emma did not want that. She had planned to pick up food from Granny's before she would bring Henry back and then the mayor and her son could eat together because it was important for Henry to get to spend some time with his mother.

Emma had to smile because of her newfound thoughtfulness and once she had told Henry about her idea he had been overjoyed and so they had left to pick up Regina's favorite food from the diner.

* * *

Regina had pulled into the driveway when Emma had called to check if the brunette already was back from the office and the brunette had wondered why Henry would be home around dinner time.

Was there no dinner at the Charmings tonight?

But before Regina could have started to question that there had been a knock on the door.

When she had caught sight of Emma and her son, both of them holding bags from Granny's in their hands, Regina had feared an invasion, but the blonde had surprised her once again,_ "We've brought dinner, I hope you don't mind. I thought it would save you time and you could spend some time with your son tonight."_

Regina had stood there, not knowing what to respond to that because obviously Emma was not joining them and she was relieved because she would not have dared to tell the blonde off because of Henry. It did not mean that she had not enjoyed their family time together because she actually had, but right now she needed a break. The changes in her life were happening so quickly that she really needed to slow down a bit or she would freak out at some point.

_"Mom, can we watch Spiderman after dinner?"_ Henry's question snapped the mayor back to reality in the end.

Regina rolled her eyes, but agreed none-the-less and Emma smiled satisfied.

_"Good night, Regina."_

That said the blonde turned round and walked away, but she still heard the mayor's words.

_"Good night, Miss Swan. And thank you."_

* * *

The next few days Regina had spent most of her time in her office, busy with reports, phone calls, meetings and listening to the complaints of Storybrooke's citizens.

And she had managed to get at least an hour every day to stop by at the stables, checking the stallion because of her growing fascination for the impressive animal.

Regina was proud that there was some real progress within the stallion's behavior because the horse did not get as worked up anymore when she showed up and he started to come closer a few steps every day.

It was beautiful to watch how that stallion became more used to her presence with every day, how the animal got more curious and brave and Regina realized once again that they had a lot in common.

They were two haunted souls, trying to regain their trust in others and in themselves.

* * *

Thursday afternoon Emma and Henry met up after school and the blonde knew the second she caught sight of her son that something had to be wrong.

Henry seemed to be down-hearted and disillusioned and it hurt Emma to see him like that.

_"What's up, kid? Troubles at school?"_

_"No. School was okay…it's just…I thought mom would…well…I thought she would make an attempt at some point to spend at least a little time with…us."_ He stopped right on the street, facing the blonde,_ "What if she doesn't want this family thing after all?"_

Emma knelt down in front of her son, pulling him into a hug,_ "Don't give up now, kid. I told you this might take a while…it's not easy for Regina. Give her the time she needs, can you do that?"_

She had tried to sound as convincing as possible, but Emma had to admit that there were times when she doubted that the mayor would come around one day as well. But she had to believe in it, she could not lose faith. They were put to the test, all of them.

_"I'm trying, but mom is acting weird. She disappears from her office, yesterday she left right after she came home from work…well, after she had made sure that I was okay, but still…and where did she go?"_ Henry could not hide his disappointment and the blonde became highly alerted, _"How do you know that she disappeared from her office, kid?"_

_"I wanted to surprise her after school on Tuesday. She was supposed to be there…but she wasn't."_

* * *

Emma had promised Henry to figure out what was going on because he was honestly worried about Regina's well-being and so the blonde followed the mayor's car the next day when the brunette left her office around lunch time.

And the sheriff was kind of surprised to find herself at the stables some minutes later, but the even bigger surprise was that Regina had went straight for the farthest paddock, had went straight to see the horse Emma considered crazy and dangerous.

She grabbed the field glasses to get a better look at the scenery and what she saw made Emma hold her breath.

Regina was leaning against the paddock, the horse obviously a lot calmer than the week before, and only a few steps away from the mayor.

Her instincts told her to run and get Regina away from there, but Emma knew better than that and so she kept watching.

The horse seemed to be eyeing the mayor and the other way round and after a while Regina opened her hand slowly, but the animal did not step back.

Emma wondered what was going on because it made no sense to her. Had the mayor been here every day since last Saturday?

But when the horse stepped forward once more, careful not to get too close to Regina, Emma knew that the mayor had indeed been here when she had disappeared from the town. She had disappeared to bond with a horse, that seemed to be broken. Like Regina.

And that thought was the missing part of the puzzle. Now it all made sense.

The mayor did try to get better, she only did it her own way.

* * *

Saturday morning Emma drove over to the mansion to pick up her son for his riding lesson and she was not really surprised when Regina announced that she would join them.

Henry on the other hand had glared at his mother in disbelief, but once he had realized that Regina was serious he had hugged her tight. The mayor clearly had not expected that, Emma could tell by the incredulous expression on Regina's face and she had to smile.

There was a long, long journey ahead of them.

* * *

As soon as they had arrived at the stables Regina had left for the paddocks and Henry had started to brush his pony and Emma stood there all by herself, feeling a bit misplaced.

She had brought the field glasses again, simply because she wanted to take another look from the distance – to make sure that Regina was okay.

When the riding teacher showed up Emma could not stop herself from asking about the mysterious horse though.

_"His name is Melech. He has been a very promising stallion before the fire in the stables. We were able to get all the horses out in time, except for him. Half of his face was burned and since that day he is not the same anymore. Nobody can touch him or go near him and that's why he might be put down one of these days."_

Emma's thoughts started to race. They wanted to kill a healthy horse because it had suffered a trauma? That could not happen. It would break Regina's heart if the horse would be gone from one day to the next. She would talk to her about that later.

_"It's a very unusual name. Do you know what it means?" The blonde had wondered all the way, so why shouldn't she ask._

_"Melech is Hebrew and it means King."_

And right then and there Emma Swan knew that this could not be a coincidence.

This had to be part of the mayor's destiny.

Regina, the queen and Melech, the king.

That truly made perfect sense.

* * *

Regina had returned in time to watch Henry during his second riding lesson, a big smile on her face. For once because she was proud for son and second because the stallion had came so close that she had been able to feel his warm breath on her hand and that experience had made her see that it was time for herself to take a step forward. Just one, but she had to get moving.

When they returned to the mansion after a great day at the stables, Emma walked Henry and the mayor to the door, ready to say good bye, but Regina interrupted her all of a sudden, _"Miss Swan, I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with us?"_


	22. Chapter 22

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 22**

Dinner had been great.

Emma had heard a lot about Regina's cooking skills from Henry, but she had been blown away anyway. Everything had tasted very delicious and the brunette obviously had been pleased that Emma had enjoyed the dinner she had cooked for her and their son.

Regina had been at ease and even smiling from time to time and Emma had not dared to ruin the moment by sharing the news about the horse because the blonde was aware that the mayor's current state was more than fragile and that the information could upset Regina more than would be good for her.

And so Emma decided to keep it to herself. She would take care of it, would figure something out because there was no way that horse could die.

Regina needed it.

When Henry headed upstairs to change into his pajamas Emma knew that it was her call to leave and give Regina some privacy, but when she grabbed her jacket she recognized a brief flicker of disappointment in the mayor's eyes.

What was that about?

_"Would you like a glass of cider before you go, Miss Swan?"_

Regina stood there, eyes wide, obviously shocked about her own boldness and Emma could not stop herself from smiling.

She got it.

They always spent time together when Henry was around and the mayor obviously believed that as soon as the kid was out of the picture Emma would run for the hills, but that was not the case.

She just had not wanted to push Regina.

_"Sure. A glass won't hurt."_

* * *

Now that they sat in the study, Regina in her chair behind the desk and Emma on the couch, the situation became a bit awkward. What should they talk about?

But then Emma simply had started a conversation about the schedule for the upcoming days, when she would be seeing Henry, when she needed to pick him up somewhere and talking about their son had given the two women at least a bit of comfort.

_"Okay. Wednesday is my day with Henry then."_ Emma said and took a sip of cider, realizing that the glass was almost empty.

Regina had tensed at her comment once again and the blonde was about to ask what the problem was, but she knew that she would never get an answer from the mayor and then she decided for something different, _"I know this whole thing is weird, Regina…but know that you can always join me and Henry, no matter what we are up to, okay? You won't intrude or something. I just don't want to push you or force anything on you…that's why I won't ask you to come with us when Henry is around because it would not be fair to you…simply because you would always feel guilty for declining and would come with us to do right by your son. But you need to do right by yourself…so, what I'm trying to say is…whenever you feel like joining us, please do. It will always be your choice though."_

Regina had been startled by Emma's words once again.

The blonde indeed had given her a possibility to choose for once. To really choose.

And somehow Regina felt excited about it.

The ability to choose had been the reason she had started to check on the stallion every day, because it had been her choice to do so. Nobody had expected it, nobody had talked her into it and that was the reason why she had enjoyed the time at the stables so much. She had been there out of her own free will and now that she could have the same with her "family" it was even better, simply because Regina knew she had to take things slow or she would bail out eventually.

One step at a time.

* * *

Regina had made it to the stables early on Wednesday since Henry was spending the afternoon with Emma and she did not need to rush home and check on him first.

She had been there during her lunch break on Monday and Tuesday, but had not been able to stay long, so she appreciated her freedom that day even more.

As soon as she had leaned against her usual spot at the paddock, the stallion made his way into her direction and it put a smile on Regina's face. He did not even get worked up anymore when she appeared and Regina knew that this was real progress. She had done something good after all and it was the first time that it had not backfired at her. She actually was rewarded with a bit of trust. A trust that seemed to grow with every day.

Like her own willingness to try being a family with Henry and Emma grew stronger the more time they spent together.

The stallion was standing right in front of her now, close enough for her to touch him if she would reach out, but she did not dare to. It could ruin everything and Regina was aware of that.

So she just stood there, waiting, eyeing the stallion and the animal did the same. The stallion obviously waited for something bad to happen and Regina figured that it must have to do something with the burned part of his head. She had caught sight of the scars the first time a couple of days ago, when the wind had blown the long, thick mane of the horse out of its face. And she had realized in exact that moment that it had to be the reason why the stallion was so shy and why nobody seemed to care about him. He was not perfect, he was indeed broken beyond repair like she was too. And yet she saw the beauty of that horse shining in its eyes.

Regina had been so lost in her thoughts that she had not recognized that the stallion had made another step forward, but now that she felt his mouth roaming curiously over the palm of her hand, his nostrils moving excitedly because of her smell, Regina Mills realized that wonders did happen after all.

She did not even dare to blink because the slightest of movements could have fatal consequences since the bond between her and the horse was as fragile as her bond with Emma Swan.

But what was happening with the stallion also made her see that she had to make a move at some point, that she had to make a decision because nobody would wait forever.

And Regina was aware of the fact that she had been given the opportunity of a lifetime when the blonde had offered her willingness to build some sort of a family with her and Henry. She really should grab this chance with both hands and she knew it.

But would she find the courage to actually do it?

Regina took a look at the stallion, that snorted satisfied and a smile appeared on her face. She had found her answer.

* * *

Emma had been surprised when she had received a text from Regina on Thursday, especially since it had been an invitation to dinner. But she was not sure if it was a good thing or a bad one because she had a feeling that something was up.

And she should be proven right because the second she had arrived at the mansion, Regina had told her to take a seat in her study.

Henry was nowhere to be seen, which made Emma even more uncomfortable because now she knew for sure that there was something going on.

But before she could driven herself crazy Regina had handed her a glass of cider and had sat down in her chair, _"Miss Swan, I think you know that talking isn't my strongest skill…when it comes to personal matters at least…"_

All the blonde was able to do was nod.

This could not mean anything good.

_"Well, let's make this short then. I had time to think about this whole family thing…and I appreciate the fact that you have kept your promise of not pushing me. And that's why I want to give it a try. So, I'm in."_

Emma did not know what to say. She wanted to jump up and hug Regina because she was so relieved. For a moment she had thought that the mayor would tell her to go to hell and die, but no.

Regina had surprised her in the best way possible.

_"Don't tell me I've rendered you speechless after all, dear. If I would have known that it would be that easy to shut you up…"_

_"Then what?"_ Emma shot the mayor a provoking glare.

Regina seemed to think about it for a moment, _"Well, nevermind, dear. Just tell me…how do we start this project family?"_

_"First of all…call me Emma."_

* * *

They had found a comfortable routine during the next few weeks, which meant family dinner on Wednesdays at the mansion, Saturdays at the stables, walks on Sundays and Henry had been overjoyed.

Their arrangement had given everyone enough time for themselves and yet they got to spend time together and to everyone's surprise things went pretty well.

Emma was a lot more down to earth and her thoughts were under control most of the time. There had been some small incidents, but it was not as bad anymore. And Regina had started to feel a bit safer and was able to enjoy time with her son and the blonde more and more.

It was a Wednesday once again and Regina was waiting for Emma to show up. Henry was in the living room, setting the table and the mayor took a look at the clock. The blonde was already twenty minutes late and Henry had tried to call her twice, but Emma had not answered the phone and had not called back either.

And somehow Regina had known right then that the blonde would not be late, but would not show up at all.

Regina and Henry had waited for two hours, but there had been no word from Emma Swan. While her son had been worried about his biological mother, Regina's insecurities had gotten the best of her.

Had to blonde enough of her weird family? Or maybe Emma had just enough of Regina being her complicated self?

But why now? Things had went well for a couple of weeks after all.

Sure, it's been a bit challenging at times too, but every beginning was hard, wasn't it?

Henry had went to bed being disappointed and sad and Regina had not managed to sleep at all.

And since she was tired and not able to concentrate the next morning, she had decided to go to the stables instead of her office because she needed some comfort and Regina knew that she would find it there. With her friend, the stallion.

* * *

By the time Emma arrived at the mansion no one was there anymore and she sighed heavily.

She was screwed because she was pretty sure that Regina was mad as hell and doubting the whole family thing and the seriousness of Emma's intentions.

First she wanted to go over to the Mayor's office, but then it dawned on Emma that the brunette probably would have gone to the stables.

When Emma arrived there and caught sight of Regina's black Mercedes she had to smile though.

The mayor became predictable after all.

Of course she had come to see Melech. Emma had witnessed over the weeks how much progress Regina had made because at some point the mayor had been able to actually touch the horse and the better things with Melech had gotten, the more relaxed Regina had becpme, the more the brunette had smiled. It simply had been beautiful to watch.

* * *

Regina was stroking the stallion's head softly when she heard footsteps in the distance and she took a step back because she knew the horse did not tolerate anybody near it except her. Whenever Henry or Emma had wanted to go visit him with her, the stallion had went crazy.

She turned away from the animal and saw a limping Emma Swan with a big bandage on her head coming her way.

What the hell had happened to the blonde?

Regina headed into Emma's direction and they were standing in front of each other not even a minute later, "What are you doing here, Miss Swan?"

Emma winced because according to the mayor's tone and being called 'Miss Swan' she was in big trouble, _"I was at the mansion, but you weren't there…so I thought….and here you are…I came to apologize…for not showing up last night."_

When Regina did not say anything, Emma continued, _"There had been a brawl at the diner. Two strangers had gotten into a fight while they had dinner at Granny's. Ruby called when I was on the way over to your house…and I really thought it wouldn't take long, but those two idiots had gotten so worked up…and well…I met the counter with my head…"_

_"You could have called."_ It was just a growl, but at least there was a response after all.

_"I've been out for some hours. When I woke up at the hospital it was past three in the morning and I didn't want to wake you. I'm really sorry, Regina."_

_"Make sure that somebody calls the next time. Henry has been worried sick. You wanted to have a family, Miss Swan. And if I'm not completely wrong being a family means to care about and for one another."_

_"I know. I'm sorry. I never meant to worry anyone. I'm looking forward to our family dinners all the time and I hate that I missed this one."_ Emma sounded weak, but then she pulled a carrot out of her jacket causing Regina to glare at her in disbelief and so she explained, _"I brought this for your friend over there. I thought he might like it. Oh, and by the way…his name is Melech…which is Hebrew and means King."_

Regina locked eyes with Emma and started to smile. A smile that reached her eyes, causing them to sparkle and the blonde started to smile as well.

And in that particular moment Regina realized that Emma did care. Not only about Henry, but also about her. Emma paid attention not only to what was important to their son, but also to what was important to her and that fact made Regina feel a lot better.

Her insecurities started to fade away when another realization hit the mayor. She was so relieved that Emma was "okay", that the blonde had not quit on her because deep down she cared about Emma Swan as well.


	23. Chapter 23

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 23**

Emma sighed happily.

The week had gone by so fast and now that the weekend was ahead she was packing her belongings to move into her own apartment. A place of her own – finally.

Belle had shown up at the Sheriff's station the other day and had told her that she would move in with Mister Gold for good, so she had no more use for her, well actually her alter ego Lacey's, apartment, not that she had ever really been there with her time in the psychic ward. But it was the opportunity Emma had been waiting for.

It was just a small two room apartment, but it was better than living with her parents forever.

Especially now that things were so difficult and she could get worked up easily because of her darkened heart.

Sure, she had made a lot of progress during the last weeks, but she still lost herself in the darkness from time to time.

And having a place of her own also meant that she did not need to hang out at the diner or at the bar all the time, that she could invite her friends over, that she could invite Regina and Henry over.

She would bring the few boxes to her apartment and then she would pick up the rest of her belongings at the Charmings apartment.

Sounded like a plan.

But then there was a knock on her hotel room door.

Emma answered it quickly and was surprised when Henry stormed into her room, followed by the mayor, who seemed to be a little bit uncomfortable, _"Our son said it was appropriate to help with the moving…since we are a family now."_

The blonde could not help herself and started to laugh. Regina's statement had been so awkward and at the same time somehow cute. The mayor really was not good with people when it came to something else, but business, but at least Regina tried now and that was really adorable.

Emma had to smile at the thought. Who would have guessed she would describe the mayor as cute and adorable one day?

_"Well, could you drive the boxes over to my place? Then I could stop by at my parents' real quick to get the rest of my stuff?"_

_"We can do that." _Regina looked at her son, who nodded in agreement and she gave Emma a small smile.

Emma took her apartment key from the table and handed it to the mayor, who looked at her in surprise, _"You might not believe it, Regina, but I do trust you."_

* * *

About two hours later everything was packed away since Emma never had been one to have much stuff and Regina was standing in the small kitchen, preparing dinner when it knocked on the apartment door.

The blonde rolled her eyes, but answered it anyway, just to find David and Mary Margaret standing in front of her.

_"We came to see if you need help with anything." _That said her father entered the apartment, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw Regina standing at the stove,_ "What the hell is she doing here?"_

_"Don't even start, David." _Emma's comment was harsh and demanding and Mary Margaret moved between her daughter and her husband, hoping that she would be able calm them down.

_"You know that you are stabbing us in the back by taking her side. I don't get how you can do that to us, Emma. We are your parents, your family."_ David yelled in frustration. Couldn't his daughter see that she was making a deal with the devil?

Emma felt something inside of her snap, aware of what it meant within a heartbeat, _"I want you to leave. Now!"_

Regina must have sensed what was going on immediately because she was by the blonde's side only a few seconds later, grabbing her arm, her other hand under her chin to make Emma look at her, _"Breathe. Focus. Remember. You can do it, Emma. Just calm down. Use your memories."_

* * *

David and Mary Margaret had left without another word, much to Emma's relief, but the blonde's happiness had went out of the apartment door with her parents.

Dinner had been silent, not even Henry had dared to speak and she was sorry that the other part of her family had ruined her time with Regina and their son once again.

_"Are you okay?" _Regina had stood there, ready to leave, and obviously nervous about asking that question. She had never really worried about the well being of someone else, but herself before and she was not sure if Emma felt up to actually answer.

_"I'm fine. Don't worry about it, okay? I'm just disappointed…"_

The mayor dropped her head slightly and Emma grabbed Regina's hand quickly, squeezing it softly, _"Don't blame yourself, Regina. You did nothing wrong."_

The brunette sighed heavily, _"We'll see you tomorrow?"_

_"Absolutely. But I will go over to the stables by myself. I have something to take care of in the morning, but I'll join you right after that is done."_

_"See you at the stables then, dear. Good night." _Regina had been surprised that Emma would not pick them up as usual, but she had not dared to ask what was so important that the blonde would miss out on that, but she had not dared to. It was none of her business after all.

_"Good night, Regina. Good night, Henry."_

Emma hugged her son tight, who had been watching the interaction between his mothers curiously. They really started to get along.

* * *

A few minutes after Regina and Henry had left, Mary Margaret had shown up again, but this time she had come alone.

It was the only reason Emma had let her in again because she really had enough of her father right now.

Once they were seated on the couch Mary Margaret could not stay quiet any longer. She had to talk to Emma, she could not lose her daughter over this, _"Listen, Emma. I know this is hard for you, but it is hard for us too. I get that Regina is Henry's other mother and that you are really trying to do right by him. And obviously Regina is trying too. I give her that much. But I still don't trust her."_

Emma felt like screaming. Why couldn't they leave her alone? All her life she had wanted to have a family, have parents, who actually cared about her, but now that she had them they were annoying the hell out of her, _"Regina is not all evil, you know?! Just think about what she's been through, what she has lost. It doesn't make the things she's done right, but understandable."_

Mary Margaret gave her daughter a sad smile, _"I know that you are trying to see the good in her, Emma. But…"_

She was cut off by the gesture of her daughter's hand right after that and then Emma locked eyes with her mother to make her see that she meant what she said,_ "There's no but. I'm not just trying to see the good in her, Mary Margaret, I actually do see it."_

Emma was not even lying because since the day they had been to the stables for the first time she had discovered a lot about Regina. And she had to admit that the mayor had her surprised in the best way possible.

Whenever the brunette was spending time with Melech one could see the hidden side of Regina Mills. The side of her that was caring and insecure, the part of her that was loving and kind.

Maybe Regina had not realized it yet, but she still could be the person she had wanted to be before the whole insanity had started. And Emma would help her to bring that girl, who had undoubtedly grown into a strong woman, back to the surface.

* * *

Regina was smiling brightly while she drove over to the stables. Spending time with the stallion always made her feel better, gave her strength and courage. Melech had been so brave from the begin with and it had made her see that taking a risk to trust someone was worth it after all.

The animal had made great progress and meanwhile she could enter the paddock and stroke him or even brush him and she had to admit that she was proud. She had managed to do that all by herself and it had not backfired at her.

But when she parked the car and saw the veterinary's and the butcher's car Regina started to feel sick. She had some sort of a feeling that the news that would be awaiting her would not be good ones.

Once she had gotten out of the car, she had heard the riding teacher talk with the butcher about how to get the stallion into the transporter and her whole world started to fall apart right then and there.

Melech would be killed because nobody could handle him, because people thought he was dangerous.

Couldn't they see that he was not? That everything with him was just a little bit more complicated, took a little more time, patience and effort than with a not traumatized horse?

Nobody seemed to realize that this stallion was still beautiful and precious, that he was worth to be loved.

Well, they shared a destiny after all.

Both, her and Melech, were broken and people did not even consider giving them a chance.

Except for Emma.

But the blonde was not here.

After all Regina was alone again.

Ironic, wasn't it?

She had tried so hard to be better to actually get a chance to have a family and yet she was alone.

And Regina knew for a fact that the loss of Melech would throw her back for miles. All the progress she had made over the weeks would be gone because the reason she had started to trust Emma, at least a little, was the stallion. He had taught her how to build trust again.

She could not take this. Neither the loss of Melech, nor the loss of her family, that would follow eventually.

Emma had been nothing, but understanding and patient, but not even the blonde would start from scratch. Again.

* * *

Emma had been surprised to meet Henry on the way to her bug, but he had told her that he wanted to give Regina some time with Melech and that he wanted to come with her.

And somehow the blonde had understood. Her son clearly wanted to be a part of this, but they had to hurry or they would be late.

Now that they were almost at the stables a smile appeared on Emma's face. It would be a good day.

But right that second she recognized the black Mercedes, that was rushing past her with way too much speed.

Shit!

Emma hit the gas pedal herself because she was pretty sure she knew what it meant.

As soon as she stopped the car Henry jumped out of it and she followed suit.

The riding teacher was talking to two men, who were not really familiar to her, when she reached the crowd, together with her son, _"So, we have to sedate that damn horse to get it into the transporter then."_

Emma did not hesitate because there was no time to waste, _"No, you won't."_

* * *

Emma felt bad about leaving Henry at the stables all by himself.

Sure, his riding teacher would take good care of him during his lesson and he had told her to go, that he would be fine.

So she had left with a bad conscience, but she really needed to check on Regina.

When Emma finally arrived at the Mayor's mansion she sighed heavily, but at least Regina's car was there, which meant that she had been right.

Over the last few weeks Regina had used the stables as her hide out, but now that the mayor had heard that the horse would be taken away from her Regina was back to hiding in her study.

She grabbed the folder on the passenger seat quickly and ran up to the front door, just to find it unlocked.

Emma stormed inside and swung the study door open in a hurry. Knocking would have been pointless because the mayor would have just sent her away without even listening to her.

But once Emma caught sight of Regina, who was sitting in her chair, crying in silence, she felt her chest tighten. It hurt to see the brunette like that, she could actually feel it.

_"Leave me alone." it was just a growl._

When Emma did not react, the mayor barked again, _"Leave me alone, Miss Swan."_

_"Regina, please, listen to me…just a minute. Everything will be fine, I promise."_ Emma tried to sound as calm as possible although she was highly worried.

_"How can everything possibly be fine when Melech is…"_ A sob escaped from Regina's lips and she knew that she would fall apart any second, but then she recognized the folder in Emma's hand.

The folder the blonde was actually handing her.

She grabbed it quickly and her eyes widened when she read through the documents, _"What's that supposed to mean?"_

_"He's yours. I bought Melech for you. Sorry I was late…you weren't supposed to find out that he should be…well, you know…"_ Emma gave her a small smile, feeling rather insecure.

_"You did what? You bought me a horse?"_ Regina could not believe what she was hearing. The blonde had to be joking.

_"Yes, I bought you a horse. Is that really so hard to believe? We both know how much you love that crazy beast."_ Emma started to laugh.

_"What do you want in return?"_ The mayor eyed the blonde suspiciously. She knew she should not ask that, because it did not really matter. She would do pretty much everything.

_"I beg your pardon?"_ Emma looked at her in confusion, _"Do you really think I expect something in exchange for that? Because you could not be more wrong."_

Now Regina was really confused.

Emma Swan had bought her a horse just because? Without an ulterior motive? Just because they were family now? Because the blonde knew how much the stallion meant to her? Could that be true?

_"I'm sorry if I offended you with the question, Emma, but I'm not used to getting something without…you know…"_

Emma started to smile again, _"There's a first time for everything."_

At that comment Regina jumped out of her chair and before she had realized what she was doing the mayor had pulled the blonde into a fierce hug. She held on to Emma for dear life and the blonde tightened her own arms round the brunette's body, willingly giving Regina the comfort she needed.

When the mayor finally pulled out of the embrace she felt completely overwhelmed.

She had really hugged Emma Swan and she did not even know why. But in that moment it had been the only thing she had wanted to do, it had been the one thing that had felt right. And although Regina was still scared of letting down her walls, of letting somebody into her life, today had proven that Emma was worth the risk, simply because she could hold on to her, because she had not let Regina down, because she had managed to do what had seemed impossible. With that huge gesture of buying Melech she had earned the mayor's trust. And by doing that Emma had also touched Regina's heart in a way that the broken woman could actually feel it.


	24. Chapter 24

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 24 **

Regina had been smiling during the whole drive back to the stables, which had caused Emma to smile as well.

It was so good to see the mayor at ease, see her happy.

When they finally arrived Henry's lesson had already started and Emma headed to watch her son, knowing full-well that Regina's first stop would be Melech today. And Emma understood completely.

* * *

Since Regina was still at the paddock when the riding lesson was over, Henry and Emma decided to go there and check on them – but they would make sure to keep some distance because neither Emma, nor Henry wanted to scare the stallion.

_"Is mom really okay?" _Henry looked at the blonde, still worried about Regina. When Emma had told him that she planned on buying Melech he had been so happy for his mom because he had realized how much the horse was helping Regina. And she was helping the stallion as well.

But then they had been late because the lady at the bank had been so slow and when he had seen his mother's car rush away from the stables, Henry had known that Regina would be feeling really bad.

_"She is fine, kid. I promise. "_

Once they reached the paddock Henry could see for himself.

Regina was standing next to Melech, feeding him some carrots and she was smiling brightly.

She seemed to be more relaxed than ever and Emma could not believe how beautiful the brunette was when she was at ease and happy. It was so good to see Regina like that because the mayor clearly deserved some happiness.

And Emma was glad that she had been able to actually do something to ensure that.

* * *

Regina had been in such a great mood that evening that she had suggested to cook dinner together.

Henry had been overjoyed, Emma had been scared that she would set the kitchen on fire, but in the end it had been a lot of fun.

Emma had tried her best because she knew that Regina never let anybody help her in the kitchen, except for a few occasions when she had baked cookies together with their son. So it was quite an honor and with Henry's help she had been able to master the task of cutting vegetables without cutting her fingers off.

Dinner had been delicious as usual and Henry had tried to convince Regina that it would only be fair if he got a pony for his next birthday now that she had Melech.

To Emma's surprise the mayor had thought about it and she had sighed silently. She would be stuck with horses for the rest of her life – if only she would not be so scared of them.

And then Regina had suggested that they could go for a ride once Melech would be ready. The three of them.

Emma's shocked face must have been priceless because the mayor and their son had started to laugh out loud, but she had made her point clear none-the-less.

If there was one thing Emma Swan was sure about , then it was the fact that she would never, under no circumstances, go for a ride.

* * *

When Henry had went to bed, Emma and Regina had headed over to the study, having their usual glass of cider.

The mayor had thanked her once again and then they had sat there in silence, watching the fire in the chimney, sipping Regina's famous apple cider.

Worn out from the day Emma had fallen asleep on the couch at some point and the mayor had considered waking her for a second, but had decided against it in the end.

Regina sat there for a while, watching the blonde sleep peacefully and a satisfied smile appeared on the mayor's face.

Emma Swan was quite something.

After their disastrous start, after almost killing each other, they really had managed to become a family. Wasn't that bizarre?

At the beginning it had been just about Henry, but over the time Regina and Emma had started to care about each other as well.

The mayor had believed for the longest time that the blonde was just pretending to worry about her, but Emma Swan had proven her wrong today.

Today the blonde had proven that she indeed considered Regina family.

* * *

When Emma woke up the next morning she was slightly disorientated.

She knew the second she opened her eyes that she was not in her apartment, not in the Charmings apartment and not at Granny's.

But it took her a moment to realize that she had fallen asleep in Regina's study.

Recognizing the blanket, which had kept her warm all night, a smile appeared on her face. Regina must have put it over her at some point.

The smell of fresh coffee made Emma get up and stumble over to the kitchen, where Regina stood at the stove, making pancakes, _"Morning, dear. I hope you slept well?"_

_"In fact I did."_ It was just a mumble.

Regina's lips curled into a smile and she turned round to face Emma,_ "Coffee?"_

Emma could only nod.

She simply was not a morning person and before her first cup of coffee she was really slow on everything .

That's why she was even more glad that she had not hit the doorframe or anything else on her way to the kitchen since it was so hard to keep her eyes open.

The mayor had to admit that she enjoyed the sight of a sleepy Emma Swan sitting in her kitchen, but she put a mug of coffee in front of the blonde anyway.

_"Mom, do you think Emma would mind if we wouldn't go for a walk tod…"_ Henry stormed into the kitchen and stopped dead when he saw that the blonde was sitting there, sipping coffee, wearing the same clothes as yesterday.

Had Emma slept at the mansion? Now that was just crazy because Regina was not very fond of having people staying overnight, but on the other hand – Emma was family after all.

_"Hey kid."_

Henry simply shrugged off his thoughts and continued,_ "Do you mind if we don't go for a walk today?"_

_"No. Care to tell me what you have in mind?"_ Emma eyed her son suspiciously. What was he up to now?

_"Video games and movies?"_

Regina rolled her eyes, but knew better than to say anything and Emma only sighed in response before she took another sip of coffee.

It did not matter what they did as long as they did it together.

* * *

Sunday had been fun, but the next few days were hectic.

Regina was drowning in paperwork and Emma was busy with Sheriff duties and so they had not managed to have their usual Wednesday dinner.

The blonde had come home late and had fallen into bed right away. She was exhausted and she needed some sleep.

But now, only two hours later, she shot up in bed, breathing hard.

That dream.

She had dreamed about Regina. But this time it had not been a nightmare, this time she had not killed the mayor.

Emma had dreamed that she was living at the mansion, that they were a real family. And she had been standing in the hallway, waiting for Regina, who came down the stairs and once the brunette had stood in front of her, they had looked at each other and she had gotten lost in Regina's beautiful brown eyes. And then she had moved closer, about to kiss…

_No!_

Emma shook her head in an attempt to clear her it from this crazy thought.

Why would she dream about that? Why would she dream about almost kissing Regina?

That was insane, wasn't it?

Maybe she would lose her mind after all?

But deep down Emma knew that she had started to care about the mayor a little too much somewhere along the way.

Reading Regina's diary had made her understand, had made her see the other side of the brunette and Emma had realized who Regina really was behind the mask she was showing to the world.

She had discovered the beauty underneath, but Emma was nowhere near ready to face what she might be feeling. She was not ready to deal with what it would mean.

And so she headed for the shower, trying to wash it all away.

* * *

Regina left her office at lunchtime on Friday.

She had enough of all the paperwork, she needed a break because she could not concentrate anymore.

It had been a hard week and she was still angry that she had to cancel family dinner on Wednesday. She would never admit it, but somehow she had gotten so used to having Emma around, that she had started to miss the blonde. Kind of.

She had not been able to visit her horse for long during this week either and time with Henry had been rare as well.

But on Friday she had decided that she could not handle it anymore. If she would not get a break she would freak out.

And so she had driven over to the stables and she had taken Melech for a walk. Their first one.

* * *

It had been an amazing experience to walk through the fields, followed by an animal that completely trusted her and Regina had felt so unbelievably grateful for the chance she had been given.

Melech had gotten scared by a bird at some point, but she had been able to calm him down immdediately and it had felt amazing, she had been so proud.

Because Regina had realized then and there that she was capable of doing something good, that she was more than just evil.

She had cooked dinner together with Henry once she had gotten home and they had ended up discussing the pony topic again. Emma clearly would not be too happy or maybe the blonde would get over her fear one day.

Now that Regina was sitting in her study, a glass of cider in hand, she had finally time to breathe. And think.

It had been a hell of a week and she had done nothing, but work.

Now that she was able to clear her head her thoughts drifted off and she remembered the last weekend. It had been an emotional rollercoaster, but it had ended in the best way possible.

And it had been nice to see Emma first thing in the morning, making her coffee and having breakfast together with their son. It had been nice to start the day like that.

Regina realized that she never had that before. The only person she had ever wanted to have that with had been Daniel, but he had died before they had gotten a chance to. But now she had a family, now she had Emma, who…

Well, what exactly?

Regina froze.

How had she made it from thinking about Daniel to thinking about Emma? She had been in love with Daniel, but she did not have feelings for the blonde. Right?

But it was too late. It was like opening Pandora's box.

Once you open it, you could not undo it.

Regina knew that she had felt something last Saturday and it had been a miracle. The impossible had come true because she had thought she would never be able to feel something again, but her darkened heart had warmed up for a second when she had hugged Emma.

But back then Regina had believed that it had been gratitude she had been feeling. Was it possible that she had been wrong?

She did not have feelings for Emma Swan, it was simply impossible.

First of all she was not attracted to women and second…no, it was just ridiculous.

But when Regina was honest she knew quite well that it was not ridiculous at all.

Pictures started to flicker in front of her eyes, pictures how she watched Emma leave the mansion every Saturday. The first few weeks she had just closed the door, but the more time had went by the longer she had stood in the doorframe. The look Emma gave her whenever the blonde saw her smile. Emma, how peaceful and beautiful she had looked when she had fallen asleep on her couch. How she had put that blanket over her, careful to not wake her. How much she had enjoyed having her at the mansion in the morning. How angry she had gotten when she had realized that she had to cancel family dinner.

_No!_

This could not be true.

_No!_

How happy she was to see the blonde the next day, how much she looked forward to it.

_No. No. No!_

Regina was close to screaming.

She could not have feelings for Emma, she simply could not.

It would ruin everything. It would make the blonde leave and that could not happen.

She needed Emma in her life.

She had to find away to stuff it all down, lock away what had started to bubble under the surface. Regina had lived almost all her life without emotions, without feeling anything. She could go on like that, had to go on like that.

Because even if it was true, even if she had feelings for the blonde – Emma could never know.


	25. Chapter 25

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 25**

Emma had not been able to sleep all night and now that she was on her way to pick up Regina and Henry for his riding lesson, she felt sick.

She had tried to forget about that dream she had had the other night, but she had not been able to get it out of her head.

Was it possible that she was falling for Regina Mills? For real?

Deep down Emma knew the answer to that question already, but she tried to ignore it.

Regina could never know about this because that would ruin everything.

The mayor would probably laugh about her and Emma would not be able to handle that.

She had never been someone people had desired or longed for, but getting rejected by someone like Regina would be devastating, especially now that they were a family.

Emma sighed heavily when she parked her car, cursing herself for falling in love with the one person on the planet, who would never be interested in her.

What could an intelligent and regal woman like Regina could see in her? Nothing.

She took a deep breath and climbed out of the bug, feeling more nervous than ever when she headed to the mansion's front door.

How should she act around Regina? How should she hide what she had revealed?

But before she could have thought about it Regina swung the door open, _"Good morning, Miss Swa…Emma."_

Emma stopped dead in her tracks, startled about being called 'Miss Swan' because the mayor had not called her that in forever.

Did Regina already know? But how on earth could that be possible?

* * *

Regina had been pacing around in the hallway for about half an hour, trying to figure out what to do.

She had not gotten any sleep last night because her mind had been one big jumble. The realization that she was falling in love with Emma had made it impossible for her to calm down for a minute.

Having a family had been too good to be true. Of course something had to happen and take it away from her because Regina knew, sooner or later, the truth would come out somehow. That was just her luck.

And then everything would be over.

It was a miracle that she was able to feel something again and if the situation would not be so complicated, she would be more than happy.

Why did she have to grow feelings for Emma Swan of all people?

Regina knew exactly why, but she wished it would not be true none-the-less.

This was a disaster.

She would try to hide the uncomfortable truth as long as possible by acting "normal".

But then she had caught sight of Emma, who had been walking up to the house and she had paniced. She had pulled the door open in a hurry although the blonde had not even knocked, like she had been waiting around like a lovesick teenager. Well, she had done that, kind of.

And as if that had not been bad enough, Regina had talked without thinking.

_'Good morning, Miss Swan?'_

Really?

Emma's face had fallen right that second. Best way to get the blonde suspicious.

And now they were standing there, Regina in the doorframe, Emma on the porch, eyeing each other awkwardly.

This was so wrong, but the mayor did not know what to say and obviously the blonde did not either.

_"Mom, where are my boots?"_

Henry stormed down the stairs, but when he caught the scene in front of him he stopped immediately. What was going on?

Were his mothers fighting again? They had come so far, they could not ruin it now.

_"Mom? Emma? Is everything okay?"_

He looked at Regina, then at Emma and back, worried that something bad was about to happen.

Emma realized that they were scaring their son, so she finally spoke,_ "Everything's fine, kid. Don't worry. I'm just a little tired, I didn't sleep well."_

Something was up, Regina was acting weird, but that had to wait because she did not want to worry Henry.

_"Emma is right, sweetheart. I'm a little tired as well because I have been up late…but besides that everything is okay"_, the mayor gave her son a small smile, _"And your boots might be in the garage. Go, get them…we don't want to be late."_

* * *

The drive to the stables had been a quiet one because Emma and Regina had been so lost in their thoughts and that had not stayed unnoticed by Henry.

He did not know what was going on, but he would figure it out eventually. He might not be able to put a finger on it yet, but his mothers could not fool him. Something was going on, definitely.

Regina had headed for the paddocks to check on Melech immediately and Emma had stood there, watching his mother disappear.

He started to wonder what this was about? Both his mothers had told him that they had not gotten much sleep last night, so it had to be something big.

But what could it be? They had been fine all this weeks. What could have happened causing them to act so strange?

_"I don't mind if you check on mom, you know. I will be busy anyway."_

Emma had looked at Henry in surprise, but had nodded in the end, thankful for her smart son and had left to talk to the mayor.

* * *

Regina was standing next to Melech, ready to take him for a walk, when she caught sight of Emma, who was headed into her direction.

She started to panic once again and the sensitive stallion sensed that immediately and the horse bopped her with its nose, obviously to give her some courage, which caused Regina to smile.

Emma stopped a few feet away, careful to keep some distance between herself and the paddock because of Melech.

She did not want to upset the stallion, _"Regina, can I…can I talk to you for a minute?"_

The mayor hesitated for a moment, but then she nodded. Avoiding Emma would cause just more trouble, would get the blonde only more suspicious,_ "Come closer…slowly."_

_"Are you sure about that? What if Melech gets worked up or something…"_ Emma could not believe that Regina wanted her to do that.

_"Everything will be fine. Just walk slowly…",_ but the mayor saw the sceptical look on Emma's face,_ "Trust me. It will be okay."_

The blonde still did not feel comfortable, but took a step forward anyway, while Regina was whispering to the stallion, _"Please don't let me down, my beautiful boy."_

* * *

It had taken all of Emma's courage to enter the paddock, but now that she was standing next to Regina, she felt a bit safer and Melech seemed to be okay with her presence.

When the stallion's nose grazed the blonde's hand, Emma looked at the mayor in surprise and Regina smiled satisfied, _"Just open your hand, Emma. Melech wants to get to know you."_

Emma was so surprised by Regina's statement, that she was startled for a moment, but then she did as she was told and she felt the stallion's nostrils roam softly over the palm of her hand.

And Emma felt so proud because of all the progress the mayor and her horse had made, it was simply a miracle.

She turned to face the mayor, careful to not move her hand, "Regina, that's…that's amazing. You did it. You really made him trust again." A smile appeared on Emma's face and the mayor curled her lips in a smile at the blonde's comment as well, _"I wouldn't have been able to do it without you."_

And then Emma's and Regina's eyes locked, causing all their surroundings to disappear completely.

In that moment they saw nothing, but one another. They saw each other for who they truly were.

* * *

The moment at the paddock had left Emma and Regina even more confused than before, but on the other hand both of them had calmed down a little none-the-less.

Simply because they had been comfortable in each other's presence and that had made the awkward feeling disappear.

Henry had talked them into going to Granny's for dinner and neither Regina, nor Emma had dared to say 'No' and now that they were sitting at the diner, Emma and Regina stole glances at each other, whenever the other one was not looking.

And this time Henry got really suspicious. What the hell was going on? This whole thing was getting weirder and weirder.

_"I need to go to the Sheriff's station real quick. I forgot some folders I wanted to check on the weekend. Do you mind?"_

Emma looked at Regina, who shook her head and Henry jumped up quickly, _"I'm coming with you."_

That said he stormed out of the diner before his mothers could have told him to stay.

Right that second Mary Margaret entered Granny's and ordered a coffee to go.

Emma waved at her mother, who made it over to the booth quickly and Regina rolled her eyes in annoyance.

That was exactly what she needed. Not.

_"Hello Emma, Good evening Regina."_

_"Listen…I need to head over to the station, Henry is already waiting for me, but I'll be back in a few. Will you still be here then?"_ The blonde looked at her mother expectantly.

_"I just wanted to grab a coffee, but sure…I can wait"._ Mary Margaret smiled sweetly.

_"Cool. See you in a bit"_, then Emma turned to face Regina, _"I'll be right back."_

* * *

Regina could not believe it.

Emma had left her there with Mary Margaret? All by herself?

She watched to blonde leave, watched her take Henry's hand, watched her walk down the street, watched her until Emma was out of sight.

And once the blonde had disappeared Regina felt lost.

_"Well, take a seat then, Miss Blanchard."_ The mayor growled through gritted teeth, just to recognize that shocked expression on Mary Margaret's face.

What did she do now?

* * *

Mary Margaret Blanchard was in shock.

She slid into the booth quickly while her heart was beating out of her chest. She must have been hallucinating. This could not be true.

That look.

The way Regina had looked at Emma, had watched her go.

No, this was impossible.

Mary Margaret glanced over at the mayor, just to recognize that Regina was completely lost in thought and then she knew it was true, _"Oh my God."_

Regina's eyes shot up, glaring at her in confusion, _"What?!"_

The expression on her own face must have given everything away because the mayor's jaw dropped only a second later and Mary Margaret did not know what to do.

She had seen that look often enough to know what it meant. Well, it was back in Fairytale Land, but that did not change anything.

She had witnessed people looking longingly at their loved ones all the time – before Regina had become evil and had taken away the happy endings. If she had learned one thing over the years than it was what that look meant. She was the expert when it came to True Love after all. And that was what made this situation so bizarre.

Mary Margaret had not wanted to ask, but the words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself, _"You are in love with Emma, aren't you?"_


	26. Chapter 26

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 26**

Regina sat there, the panic rising in her chest, but she knew she had to do something, say something, _"Are you crazy? That's just ridiculous, Snow…"_

But the harsh tone in her voice could not hide the fear, that was swinging in it as well.

_"Regina…"_

Mary Margaret's pitiful voice told the mayor that arguing was pointless.

She had been caught. By Snow White of all people. By the woman, who could not keep a secret if her life would depend on it. She was doomed once again.

_"Emma can never know." _Regina demanded, knowing it was pointless because there was no way Mary Margaret would not run and tell her daughter right away.

Mary Margaret watched Regina with fascination. There was so much emotion, she could not even believe it. And she saw the fear in the mayor's eyes, saw the pleading expression on Regina's face, that was in contrast to the mayor's cold and hard voice.

Regina clearly was panicking because she had caught her. Again.

And Mary Margaret realized that the mayor and former evil queen must feel defenseless because she was not in control anymore. Regina's life was in her hands once again.

_"Regina, I promise you…I won't tell her. "_

Mary Margaret tried to sound reassuring because this time she would stay quiet. As tempting as it was to tell Emma, it was none of her business. She did not trust Regina and they still were enemies, but her daughter had managed to give Regina something good in life and she would not take that away from the mayor. Simply because Regina had lost enough already.

Regina laughed bitterly.

Snow would never keep her mouth shut. She would take this opportunity to get Emma away from her. The Charmings hated that their daughter had started to bond with her, so why would Mary Margaret not take the chance to "rescue" Emma?

Right that moment Henry and the blonde entered the diner and Regina stood up immediately, _"Henry, we have to go."_

Emma looked at the mayor with disappointment, then looked at her mother to see what this was about, but Mary Margaret just shrugged.

_"Okay then. See you tomorrow."_ The blonde hugged her son, considered for a moment to hug Regina as well, but the brunette seemed to be so tensed up that she decided against it.

And the mayor walked away without another word, which left Emma wondering once again.

What was going on? What could have happened in the few minutes she had been gone?

* * *

Henry was sitting in his room, hugging his pillow, debating whether to look after his mother or not.

Regina had disappeared into her bedroom the second they had arrived at the mansion and now he could hear her cry bitterly.

Henry's heart broke for his mother and he wished, more than ever, that he knew what was going on, because Regina had not been that devastated in forever.

* * *

Emma was beyond disappointed.

Regina had told her that she would not join her and Henry for their usual Sunday walk and the blonde did not understand why.

Because there was no way Regina knew about her feelings for the brunette. It was simply impossible. Emma had told no one, neither Ruby, nor Mary Margaret.

Nothing made sense anymore.

And now that she was sitting on the bench, watching the waves, Henry right next to her, Emma realized that something was missing.

Her family was not complete. Not without Regina.

She should not have left the diner last night, especially not when Mary Margaret had shown up, because somehow Emma suspected that the mayor had left because of her mother.

But she had asked Mary Margaret if they had fought or something and her mother had sworn on her life that there had not been an argument with Regina Mills. Had sworn that she had not offended the mayor either.

And that had Emma even more worried, because there was no reason for the brunette's behavior.

She had wanted to talk to Regina about it today, but of course the mayor had crossed her plans by simply not joining them.

_"Why is everyone so sad lately?"_ Henry looked at Emma, worry shining in his eyes.

_"What do you mean, kid?"_

_"Well, you don't look too happy today and mom has been crying all night. I wanted to go check on her, but she had locked herself in the bedroom…I thought about knocking, but I know that she doesn't want anyone to see her cry. At least not like that."_

_"Regina has been crying? Do you know why?"_ Emma could not believe it. What the hell was going on? And why did the mayor not talk to her? They had come so far, they should be able to talk about problems after all.

Henry shook his head, making clear that he had no idea either.

* * *

Regina had avoided Emma until their family dinner on Wednesday and now she was keeping the blonde on distance as well.

Henry watched his mothers like a hawk, trying to find a hint or something, that would give away what was going on, but nothing happened.

Emma had tried to start a conversation more than once, but Regina had shut her up by replying with a snarky comment all the time.

He did not understand, he did not understand at all.

They had been fine, everything had been okay and his mothers had gotten along. Why did they act like that? Nothing had happened, at least nothing he had witnessed.

But then Emma had asked for a refill of wine and had handed his mother the glass.

The moment Regina grabbed it, the fingers of his mothers brushed against each other and they locked eyes for a moment.

And Henry could have sworn they had drifted off to their very own universe.

Seeing that he became even more confused, if that was possible. This whole shit did not make any sense.

He would do some research later, but he probably would use the internet instead of his book this time, because he was aware that the old book did not cover everything. The truth was that there was so much missing in it, basically the information one needed to understand the backgrounds of everything.

* * *

Emma Swan was frustrated to no end and could not focus on doing her paperwork. It was Friday afternoon and she wanted to get out of the station, wanted to talk to Regina.

Hell, she missed the mayor more than she would have ever expected.

That was when Henry entered her office, obviously nervous, _"Can we go over to Granny's? I really need to talk to you."_

The truth was that Emma had not wanted to have a conversation with her son, at least not now, but she knew that Henry was suffering from the weird situation as well and so she had nodded and they had left for the diner.

* * *

Now that they were sitting in their favorite booth Emma was thankful for this little bit of "normal" in her life, because the situation with Regina was wearing her out.

Henry was eyeing her intensely, but did not say a word for a while.

_"That bad?"_ The blonde had not been able to stop herself from asking although she knew she should not push her son.

_"Promise me that you won't get mad…or freak out or something."_ Henry was waiting for his mother's response, who clearly was thinking about his statement. He had spent all week on searching the internet and had come up with only one plausible explanation for Emma's and Regina's behavior. It was the weirdest reason of all and first he had thought that it could not be possible, but the more he considered it, the more logical it had gotten.

_"Fine. I'll try and stay calm. What did you do?"_ Emma gave her son a stern look, nodding to encourage him to tell her.

_"I didn't do anything. But I guess I figured out what's wrong with mom…and you",_ he took a deep breath and when the blonde did not say anything he continued,_ "I guess mom is in love with you. And I'm pretty sure you like her too."_

_"Woah, kid. Slowly…first of all…your mom would never fall for someone like me, believe me. And second…you know how crazy that sounds, right?"_ Emma did not know what else to say. How on earth had her son came up with that theory?

_"But you are in love with mom, right? Does she know?"_ He stared at the blonde, aware that she would probably try to deny it.

_"No…and no. I really like Regina, I do. But this is not what you think it is…I don't like her that way._" Emma prayed that he would buy it, because she was not ready to have this conversation with Henry. She was not even sure if she would ever get ready to have this conversation with the mayor.

_"You know that I know when you're lying, right? You can't fool me. I'm your son after all."_

The blonde sighed heavily. Of course luck was not on her side today.

_"Henry, this isn't easy, okay. Things with your mom are complicated and I might like her a little too much, but there is no point in discussing that any further, because Regina is not in love with me."_

_"I think you are wrong and I'll prove it to you",_ he smirked and jumped up to head over to the counter, leaving a confused Emma behind.

* * *

Henry prayed that his plan would work out. He did not like that he had to take actions like that, but if his two mothers were too stubborn to talk to each other, he had to find another way. That simple.

He had instructed Ruby to call Regina and tell her to pick him up at the diner. That had been ten minutes ago and he was aware his mother would arrive any second, so he turned to Ruby again, still sitting on a barstool at the counter, _"I need you to do me a favor…it's really important. No matter what happens, you have to play along, please."_

* * *

Ruby watched him suspiciously, but agreed in the end, simply for the attention she would get by doing whatever Henry had planned out.

And then the diner door flung open and Regina stalked in, taking in the sight of Henry and Emma sitting in the booth, both obviously lost in thought, _"Somebody cares to tell me what's going on? Why did I have to come here? Couldn't you bring him over to the mansion?" _

The harsh comment was directed at Emma, who winced at the sound of the mayor's voice and Henry rolled his eyes. Why had his mother to be so unfriendly these days? Especially when she liked the blonde so much.

That moment Ruby stopped by to ask the mayor if she wanted to order something, but Henry made his move, because he knew it was now or never, _"Emma can't bring me over. She has a date with Ruby."_

Ruby did not understand what this was about, but she had promised the boy that she would play along and so she slipped into the both next to the blonde and smiled, _"Absolutely. Right, Em? It was about time you asked me out."_

Emma wanted to protest, especially when she recognized the hurt in Regina's eyes, but she was not able to get a single word over her lips. Henry had taken her by surprise and she felt more than just helpless.

* * *

Regina Mills did not know what to do altogether.

She was too overwhelmed by her feelings. Feelings of anger and sadness, feelings of hurt and disappointment. And so she turned round and stormed out of the diner, trying to escape reality.

_"Henry, what the hell? And Ruby, have you completely lost your mind?" _After a moment of shock Emma was finally able to think again, _"Why did you do that to your mom?"_

_"Isn't that obvious? Do I really have to explain to you what her reaction means?"_ He looked at the blonde in disbelief. Emma could not be that naïve.

Ruby stood up and left, because this was clearly none of her business. She might be nosey as hell, but she was not sure if she really wanted to know what was going on.

_"Kid, are you aware of the fact…that if what you think is true…that we really hurt your mom?" _She still could not believe that Regina could have feelings for her, but right now it did not matter.

_"Oh." _Henry dropped his head in shame.

_"Can you stay with Ruby for a while? I really have to check on Regina…" _Emma waited for her son to nod and then stormed off as well.

* * *

She arrived at the mansion, breathing hard, knocking immediately.

But then Emma realized that she had not thought this through.

What would she tell Regina?

Before she could think about it though – an obviously more than just upset mayor opened the door, _"What the hell do you want?"_

_"I came here to explain…"_

_"Explain what, Miss Swan? Your private life is none of my business."_

Emma took a step forward, causing the brunette to frown, but she ignored it, _"Regina, I'm not dating Ruby. Henry just said that because…"_

_"Are you trying to tell me that my son lied to me?"_ The mayor became even more furious.

_"He was just trying to prove a point."_ Emma said in defense, hoping that the conversation would not blow completely.

Regina stared her into the ground, but did not say anything, obviously waiting to hear the rest of this little fairytale.

_"Henry thinks…that we are…that…you and I…are…in love with each other. And he thought by telling you I would date someone else he would get us to…I don't know what he thought…"_

_"This is ridiculous! Why would he think that? You know how absurd this theory is, Miss Swan. Don't you? You and I…in love with each other…that's just the most stupid thing I've ever heard"_, Regina barked, regretting it immediately, but what else should she do? She was panic driven and she could not admit that she had feelings for Emma. She simply could not. It would ruin everything.

_"I know. That's what I told Henry. What would someone like you would want with someone like me, right? I mean we are worlds apart. You're are an intelligent, beautiful and successful woman, a former queen. And me…I'm just some foster kid nobody ever wanted…some stupid kid from Boston, who came here, chasing a dream…oh God, that really sounds pathetic." _Emma dropped her head, ready to leave. That was exactly the reason why she had never wanted to have that conversation with the brunette.

_"You know how that sounds, Miss Swan. As if Henry was at least partially right. As if you would have feelings for…"_ Regina could not bear to say it, did not dare to continue. This could not be true.

_"Even if Henry would be right, it doesn't matter. You made your point unmistakably clear. You and I is not going to happen. Ever. Good night, Regina. Sorry for bothering you."_

That said the blonde started to walk away, her heart aching in her chest.


	27. Chapter 27

_A/N: Hello everyone! _

_Thanks for all the support and love. It makes me happy that you all are enjoying this story so much. Makes me happy :) and it's the reason I keep writing a chapter each day. I have to admit that it is draining because I could sleep instead of typing through the nights, but well...since I can't do both, I think I'll stick with writing ;)_

_hope everyone is having a nice week..._

_much love, raven_

* * *

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 27**

Regina stood on the porch and watched Emma disappear.

She had considered to stop Emma, to run after her, but she could not. She was not ready for the conversation they needed to have.

Regina could not believe what had happened just a few minutes ago. Emma had practically told her that she was in love with her, but the truth was not tangible for the mayor. She would have never expected that.

It was a miracle that she had fallen in love altogether, but it seemed to be impossible that somebody would love her back.

Regina had never considered that, had never thought it could be an option.

And now that she knew that it was, she had no idea what to do.

* * *

The second Emma entered the diner Henry knew that his plan had not worked out, that it must have failed miserably.

He wanted to ask what had happened, but Emma just shook her head 'no' and signalized him that they were leaving by tilting her head, pointing towards the door, _"We are not going to talk about this ever again. Understand?"_

All Henry could do was nod, because he realized that he had hurt both of his mothers by forcing them into something they clearly were not ready for.

* * *

Emma had driven her son over to the mansion real quick, but had told him that she would not escort him to the front door as usual. She simply could not bear to face Regina again.

Henry had noticed the tears, that had been running down the blonde's face, but had not dared to say anything. He was so sad and more than that he felt guilty, but he could not undo what he had done.

When his mother opened the door she seemed to be surprised to see him alone and for a moment Regina stared into the darkness longingly, but Emma had already left.

Henry went upstairs immediately, because he was not able to face his mother, who must have been crying too, according to her bloodshot eyes. He had wanted a family so bad, had wanted Emma and Regina to be happy, but in the end he might have ruined everything and Henry was not able to deal with that.

But then Regina showed up in his room, where he was sitting on the bed, lost in thoughts and she sat down right next to him, hugging him tight and he started to cry as well,_ "I'm sorry, mom. I didn't mean to hurt you. Or Emma. I just wanted…I wanted to help…and now everyone is crying. Even Emma…and she never cries."_

* * *

Regina had not been able to sleep all night once again.

She knew that Emma had gotten the wrong impression about the whole situation last night, that she had to explain herself to the blonde. That she should not have let Emma leave like that, that she should have said something, but she had been too scared. She still was.

But she was hoping that maybe, just maybe, they would be able to start a conversation during their time at the stables today.

But when she took a look at the clock and realized that the blonde was already fifteen minutes late, Regina knew that something was wrong.

Emma had changed a lot over the last weeks and months when it came to being punctual, so why wasn't she here by now?

_"Mom, we need to go or I will be late for my riding lesson…"_ Henry showed up in the hallway, looking at Regina expectantly.

_"Well, you better call Emma and tell her to hurry then._" She took her phone out of her purse and wanted to hand it to her son, but Henry only shook his head,_ "Emma is not coming."_

The mayor's eyes grew wide in disbelief_, "What do you mean she is not coming?"_

_"She said yesterday that she wouldn't come over this weekend"_. Henry shrugged sadly and Regina felt her chest tighten. And she started to realize that she really should have stopped Emma.

* * *

The day at the stables had distracted Regina for a bit and she had needed that. Some pause from all the confusing thoughts and feelings had helped her to calm down a little.

She had saddled Melech for the first time and the stallion had behaved very well, which had her completely excited, because it meant that she could start riding him soon.

The horse had sensed her sadness though and had tried to cheer her up in its own way. Melech had bopped her with his nose from time to time, had rested his head on her shoulder when her heartache had consumed her once again.

She would never be able to get through all of this without the stallion. The stallion Emma had bought for her, just because.

On Sunday Regina had taken Henry for a walk on her own, but it had not been the same.

Nothing was the same without Emma.

* * *

Ruby had shown up at the Mayor's office on Tuesday to bring the reports Regina had requested and that had been the moment when the mayor had decided to call the blonde, but she had went straight to Emma's voicemail.

She had received a text from the blonde about ten minutes later, saying that she would not come over for family dinner the next day, that she would not come over for a while altogether.

And that had made Regina realize that she had lost Emma, that her fears had driven the blonde away although that had been the last thing the mayor had wanted.

She had thought she would lose Emma if the blonde ever found out about her feelings, but in the end she had lost her because Regina had not found the courage to admit them.

How ironic was that?

She should talk to Emma, should tell her the truth, but Regina was struggling with herself so much that she simply could not find the strength to do so.

* * *

Emma was drowning in her own darkness.

Being a foster kid had not been easy, all the moving from family to family, had been exhausting, especially since it had always gotten worse instead of better, but nothing could compare to how she was feeling now.

Emma had always felt worthless, unwanted and unworthy of being loved, but when she had stood in front of Regina it had hit her more than ever. There was no way someone like the brunette would ever consider her their choice, because to people like Regina she was not even an option.

But when Emma had walked away from the mansion last Friday, she had become aware of the fact how much Regina meant to her, how much she was really losing, because the blonde had tried to convince herself that she might have a crush on the mayor, but the truth was she was madly in love with the brunette.

She was more in love than ever before and that was why this was so hard for her now.

There had been an incident Monday night when she had lost control over her thoughts, over herself completely and she had smashed practically her whole furniture to pieces and that had been the time when Emma had decided to stay away from Regina till her feelings for the brunette would be gone.

Ruby had tried to convince her to talk to Regina once again, but the blonde, stubborn as she was, had only yelled at her friend, had told her to leave her alone and that she would stay away from the mayor as long as it would take.

A week had passed by since she had seen the brunette for the last time and Emma could not stand it any longer. She missed Regina so much that it hurt, but there was nothing she could do about it, so she decided to go for a drink.

Or two.

* * *

Henry was enjoying his riding lesson, which was pretty much to only thing that put a smile on her son's face at the moment and Regina decided that it was time to take Melech for an actual ride.

She had been riding him in the paddock for a couple of days now and the stallion had done great. He was ready for the world outside.

When she crossed the stables she caught sight of Dr. Hopper, who was talking to one of the stable boys and she stopped the horse to greet him, because she had read his report about therapy horses for the troubled youth of Storybrooke and Regina had to admit that she had been surprised positively by Hopper's request, simply because it was a really smart and promising idea.

Archie turned to face the mayor, obviously nervous and Regina made clear that he would stay away from the stallion. Melech was calm and she was stroking over his neck to reassure him that everything was okay, but one never knew how the horse would react if a stranger would come too close.

_"Good morning, Madame Mayor."_

_"Morning, Doctor Hopper. I just wanted to let you know that I have read your report and I think we should discuss it, because I have to admit that I like the idea. Make an appointment to see me next week._" Regina gave him a small smile.

_"I'm glad, Madame Mayor. And I will make an appointment. But you have to excuse me now, I have to go…I need to check on Miss Swan."_ Archie started to walk away, but the mayor yelled after him, made him stop.

_"What's wrong with Miss Swan?"_

Archie Hopper knew he should not tell Regina, but what chance did he have? She would kick his ass if he did not provide the information she wanted, so he sighed, _"I don't know. I've just been called by Doctor Whale. Miss Swan has collapsed at a bar last night, she has obviously drunken herself senseless. And Miss Lucas said that Emma is having a really hard time, that she needs help before she hurts herself for real…something like that."_

_"Emma…I mean Miss Swan is at the hospital?"_ Regina could not believe what she was hearing. This sounded nothing like Emma. On the other hand – with the blonde's darkened heart…

The darkened heart! She had almost forgotten about that because Emma had done so well over the last weeks, but now that Regina thought about it she could imagine what must have happened. Oh no!

_"No, she isn't in the hospital anymore. She is at home now…as far as I know. Anyway…I better get going. Enjoy your ride, Madame Mayor."_

* * *

Melech was racing over the fields, speeding up more and more.

And Regina's thoughts were racing as well.

What had she done? Why hadn't she stopped Emma? Why hadn't she tried to talk to the blonde?

Emma had been so brave, why couldn't she find the courage to tell the blonde the truth? Especially since Emma would deserve it.

She had to do something, had to stop this insanity – for her own sake. But more than everything for Emma's sake. The blonde had always helped her, even back then when they had hated each other.

It was time she would rescue Emma for once.

* * *

Regina and Henry were entering the diner, because the mayor planned on asking Ruby for help. She needed someone to watch Henry and since Kathryn was not available, Ruby was her only option, but then she bumped right into Mary Margaret.

_"Could you do me a favor, Miss Blanchard? I really hate to ask, but I need someone to watch Henry tonight. It's really important."_ The words were out of Regina's mouth before she could have realized what she was doing and her son and his teacher were clearly as surprised, because they stared at her wide-eyed, obviously shocked.

_"O-of…of course. It's my pleasure."_ Mary Margaret answered after a while, smiling at Henry.

Regina could not bear to actually say 'Thank you', so she just nodded,_ "I'll pick him at 9 am. Sharp."_

That said she left to talk to Emma, knowing that the conversation ahead of her would possibly be the hardest of her life.


	28. Chapter 28

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 28**

When Regina finally arrived at Emma's apartment her heart was racing in her chest and that feeling stopped her dead in her tracks once again, simply because she had not felt anything like that in forever.

If she was honest she had never felt like this before.

Not even back then with Daniel.

Regina Mills was completely out of her depth and for a second she considered to leave again, but she knew that she would ruin the last piece of her family by doing that and so she took a deep breath and knocked.

Hesitantly at first, but when nothing happened she hammered her fist against the wooden door more fiercely.

_"Leave me the hell alone!"_ Emma's voice was more like a bark, when the door flung open and the blonde stared at her in disbelief, _"What the hell do you want? A good laugh? Not today…maybe another time…"_

Emma wanted to close the door again, but Regina pushed against it, "_Emma, wait…"_

_"Go away, Regina…I'm really not in the mood for your little games."_

_"Miss Swan…I came here to talk to you."_ The mayor tried to stay calm, she was tense enough because of the conversation ahead of her, she did not need the blonde to make things even more complicated. This whole talk thing would blow up if Emma would not stop being such a stubborn fool, because she had not much control over her feelings lately.

_"There's nothing to talk about."_ The blonde snapped.

_"My patience is wearing thin, Miss Swan. We really need to have a conversation. Now."_ Regina's voice was demanding and Emma finally stepped aside to let the mayor in although she had no idea what this was about.

* * *

Emma had curled up on the couch and Regina had taken a seat right next to her, surprised by her own boldness.

_"So, what do you want?"_ The blonde growled in annoyance, hoping to get rid of the unwanted visitor as soon as possible.

_"Miss Swan, I think it is safe to say that there had been a misunderstanding last Friday."_

_"A misunderstanding? I highly doubt that, Mayor Mills."_ So now they were back to being formal. Great. _"Care to tell me what this is really about and then leave? I've been puking all day, I'd really appreciate some peace and silence."_ Emma stared at Regina, praying that the mayor would simply disappear and leave her alone with her miserable state of mind.

"_My reaction to your statement was inappropriate and I want to…apologize_", Regina blurted out, not knowing how to start the real conversation.

_"Seriously, Regina? Inappropriate? What do you really want? Spit it or go. I mean it."_ Emma had enough of this charade. Every other day she might have played along, had tried to guess what the mayor was here for, but not today.

For a moment there was nothing, but silence, but then the brunette cleared her throat, aware of the fact that it was now or never. Emma might be angry, but she could see the hurt in the blonde's eyes clearly.

_"Emma, listen…what I'm trying to say is that..."_ Regina took another deep breath, _"Henry has been right. About everything."_

The blonde sat up straight and glared at the mayor in disbelief.

Was she hallucinating because of all the drinking or had Regina just said…

No, that was impossible.

_"Hold on…are you trying to tell me that…"_ but Emma did not dare to continue speaking, afraid that her little bubble might burst.

_"That I am in love with you, Emma. Yes, that is exactly what I am trying to tell you."_ Regina had to look away, out of fear that the blonde would laugh about her now.

_"What?! If this is one of your sick…"_ Emma started to rant, but right that moment the mayor turned to face her and she could see it in Regina's brown eyes – it was nothing, but the unbelievable truth.

_"I don't know how this happened or when. I don't understand why I feel what I feel and it is driving me crazy",_ Regina admitted honestly, _"I haven't felt anything in all this years. For no one. At least not like that. And now I'm so confused that I can't sleep anymore, because I am not used to feel something like this. I'm not supposed to feel anything at all."_

The desperation in the brunette's voice was unmistakable and Emma realized that this was not easy for Regina, "_I don't understand either…why didn't you say anything?"_

_"Because I was scared. Well, I am still scared. I thought there was no way in hell you would have feelings for me too and I didn't want to ruin our family",_ the mayor answered truthfully and Emma gave her an understanding smile_, "It was the same with me…but where does this leave us now?"_

Regina watched the blonde for a moment before she cleared her throat, _"Emma, I can't. You have to understand that this is too hard for me. I have lost everyone, who has been important to me and you know what I have become because of that. I can't go back there…I wouldn't survive it if things would not work out for us, if it would ruin our family…or if something would happen to you. It's just…I can't."_

Emma saw the growing fear, the overwhelming hurt in the brunette's eyes and reached out to place her hand over the mayor's carefully, _"Regina, no matter what you believe…you deserve some happiness, you deserve a happy ending for Heaven's sake. Probably more than anyone else."_

The mayor looked down at their hands, smiling a sad smile, _"It doesn't matter if I deserve it or not, Emma. Even if I would deserve it…that doesn't mean that I'd really get it."_

What should she reply to that? Emma knew that Regina was right, but why would destiny be so cruel to let them fall in love with each other if there was no way for them to be together?

_"Besides that…I have never been attracted to women before. Think about Henry. He never was the most popular kid at school, but if he would end up with two mothers…you know how cruel this world can be. I don't give a damn what people say about me, but it would not be fair to put Henry through all of this…especially when things don't work out in the end."_ Regina finally pulled her hand back, instantly missing the blonde's touch, but it had to be that way.

Emma had to admit that she had never really thought about any of this, but she knew that Regina was right. Well, not necessarily right, but she understood where the mayor came from, why the brunette was so scared. But there had to be a way for them, everything happened for a reason after all.

Coming to Storybrooke had filled almost all the holes in her life and heart, except for one – and now that she could have that Emma would do everything to make it happen, _"Regina, listen to me. I understand everything you said. I know you are scared, because I am too. Sure, you and me…together…that would be…well, interesting. But don't give up just yet, okay? I won't push you, but think about it…before you say 'No'. I get that you are not comfortable with all this right now, but you have time…we have time. All I ask of you is to really think this through, because your decision affects both of us…we are in this together. And we'll get through it…together."_

Regina was so taken aback by Emma's words that she could not say anything in return, but this time she grabbed the blonde's hand and squeezed it gently, signaling her agreement and understanding.

* * *

They had agreed to take Henry for a walk on Sunday and he had been so happy to see both his mothers when they had picked him up at the Charmings that he had bounced all the way down to the harbor.

Regina's and Emma's hands had brushed more than once during their walk, simply because they felt so drawn to each other that it became hard to ignore.

Knowing that they had feelings for each other made it so difficult to keep a safe distance between them, because Emma and Regina were craving for the presence of one another more than ever.

* * *

Emma and Henry had spent the afternoon together while Regina was in her office, trying to get some of her paperwork done.

And Henry, smart as he was, had recognized that something between his mothers had changed. There were the looks his mothers had been giving each other and more than that their "accidental" touches while their walk and he had asked Emma straight away what was going on once they had arrived in the blonde's apartment.

Emma had hesitated at first, but then she had decided that she could as well tell her son, because it had been him, who had started all of this in the first place.

And it did not look as if the situation would get any easier in the near future.

He had listened carefully to every word and once Emma had finished her explanation, Henry had looked worriedly at the blonde_, "So, how do we help mom to get over her fears?"_

_"If only I knew, kid. First of all I have to get over mine."_ Emma sighed heavily and fell onto the couch, slightly frustrated.

_"You will and you have to, because you are The Savior. And mom is The Evil Queen…well, she was. Can't you see it, Emma? You're meant to be together. It all makes perfect sense now…"_

* * *

Emma had avoided the Mayor's office on Monday and Tuesday, because she did not want to make Regina feel pressured or anything, because that would lead nowhere.

This whole situation was so very complicated, that it drove her crazy, but whom should she talk to? Mary Margaret would get hysterical if she found out what was going on and David would go straight for Regina's head. Or heart. Maybe both.

So her parents were no option and the only other remaining person was Ruby, but the blonde was not sure if she was ready to talk to someone other than Regina or Henry about this whole chaos yet.

And right that moment she received a text from the mayor, who was asking if she would show up for family dinner that night and a bright smile appeared on Emma's face.

At least Regina wanted her to be there.

Maybe there was a chance for them after all.

* * *

Dinner had went surprisingly well, mostly because Henry had talked through it all and Emma had been glad.

Regina had been so tense when she had arrived at the mansion, but in the end they had shared an evening filled with laughter and that had been exactly what they had needed.

The mayor had to stop to analyze this whole situation, because it would only drive her crazy, because there was no explanation why people fell in love with each other. They simply had fallen for one another and it would forever stay a mystery why.

* * *

Regina sat in her office the next day, trying to concentrate on a report about Storybrooke's school system, but she was not really concentrated.

She still cursed herself for being so broken and scared, because she knew that she would ruin her chance of happiness sooner or later if she would not get a grip.

A knock on the door had her out of her thoughts immediately and she was surprised to see Belle enter her office only a second later, a bouquet of beautiful scarlet-red roses in hands, "I'm sorry for disturbing you, Mayor Mills, but I have a delivery for you."

Regina was so surprised that she was not able to say anything, but she took the flowers from Belle and nodded to show her appreciation.

Before she could realize it Belle was already gone and Regina put the roses to her nose to inhale the amazing scent.

Nobody had ever sent her flowers. Not once in her whole life.

That was when she recognized the card, which was settled within the bouquet.

A small white card.

As soon as Regina opened it a smile appeared on her face – definitely Emma's handwriting.

And once she read the note it held her smile became even brighter.

It was a simple quote and yet it were the perfect lines, because they proved that Emma truly understood the battle Regina was currently fighting.

_~Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams. Paulo Coelho~_


	29. Chapter 29

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 29**

Emma was locking up the station, ready to go home, when she heard the familiar clicking of heels behind her and a smile appeared on her face.

Regina.

She put the keys into the pocket of her jacket and turned round to face a seemingly happy mayor, which was quite a sight.

_"What can I do for you, Madame Mayor?"_

_"Thank you. For the roses. Thank you, really."_ Regina's voice was soft and the blonde could have sworn that the brunette's eyes were teary.

_"You're welcome, Regina. Glad you like them."_ Emma watched a single tear running down the mayor's cheek and she grabbed Regina's arm gently, _"Hey, are you ok?"_

_"Yes, I am. It's just…nobody has ever gotten me flowers and I'm a little overwhelmed. Everything is so confusing", _Regina explained quickly and wiped the tear away, slightly embarrassed that the blonde saw her in this state.

Emma nodded in understanding, shocked about what the brunette had just told her. Regina had never been important enough to somebody to get flowers? Could that be possible?

But the moment she locked eyes with the mayor Emma saw nothing, but the brutal truth and it hit her once again in what a fragile state Regina had to be to share something like that with her.

_"I just came here to let you know that I really appreciate the gesture."_

That said the mayor pulled away and left without another word.

* * *

When Emma arrived at her apartment, Ruby was sitting in front of her door, a bottle of whiskey in hand and the blonde eyed her suspiciously, _"Looks like someone had a bad day…"_

Ruby got up and shrugged, _"Maybe."_

Once they had sat down on the couch, the deputy poured two glasses and handed one to Emma,_ "Care to tell me what's going on with you and Regina?"_

Emma sighed heavily, because she was not sure if this was a smart idea, but on the other hand she really could need some advice.

And so she finally told Ruby what was really going on, part of her afraid of her friend's reaction, but the other part was proud that she had found the courage to say it out loud after all.

Ruby had listened through it all without a stupid comment or a sound of disgust and the blonde was so relieved, because she knew most of Storybrooke's citizens would not react that well to the news.

The leggy deputy watched Emma intensely, taking a big gulp of whiskey, _"Well, I'm not an expert on the whole love thing, but isn't it a good thing that your feelings are mutual?"_

_"It is. It should be…" _The blonde dropped her head and sighed out of frustration.

_"What's up, Em? You can talk to me, you know…"_ Ruby took another sip.

_"Regina is scared for a lot of reasons and I get it. Because I'm scared too. If somebody would have told me that I would fall for her…of all people…I would have called them crazy",_ Emma admitted and took a gulp of whiskey herself.

_"What are you so scared of?"_

_"Don't you get it, Ruby? Too me Regina is like heaven and hell in one person…she can calm me down like nobody else…especially with my darkened heart. I've done well during the last few weeks, but when I thought that she had no feelings for me…I freaked out like never before. If we would be together…it would require a lot of trust…for both of us…because we hold so much power over one another…do you understand that?"_ Emma looked Ruby straight in the eyes, desperate and helpless.

_"Yeah, I guess I get it…but I think Henry is right..you're meant to be together, Em. No matter how scared the two of you are…it just shows how much you care. How strong your feelings for each other are…you can give in to your fear and throw it all away before it has even started…or you get yourself together and fight for her. Don't tell me you don't trust Regina…because you do. I've seen her calming you down…if that was not trust…I don't know what would be"_, Ruby squeezed Emma's hand supportingly.

_"Ruby Lucas…when did you become so wise?"_ The blonde winked playfully at her friend.

_"Must have been the moment Ashley had agreed to marry Sean. I realized right then and there that I had waited too long", _Ruby announced and grabbled the bottle to take another big gulp of whiskey, because her glass had been empty for a while.

* * *

Regina and Henry were having breakfast and as much as the mayor enjoyed it, she wished that Emma would be there.

She knew it was up to her to make that happen, but she still was not sure what to do about this whole bizarre situation.

_"I would be okay with it if you and Emma…well, if you were together. Just so you know." _Henry looked at his surprised mother and gave her a decent smile.

_"Sweetheart, it's not that easy…it's very complicated in fact."_ Regina did not know what else to say, because she was nowhere near ready to have this conversation with her son.

_"That's because you and Emma make it so complicated, but seriously…she is in love with you and you are in love with her. You could be happy, but no. You are scared and Emma is stubborn…well, maybe she is scared too…you think you don't deserve to be loved because you were The Evil Queen and Emma thinks she is not worth anything because of her own past…and all the foster stuff…and her time in jail and God knows what else. You will miss out on your happy ending if you keep acting like that…both of you."_

That said Henry got up and left the kitchen. He did not want to be late for school and he did not want to hear his mother's excuses either.

* * *

Regina had thought about Henry's words the whole morning, realizing that her son was actually right.

But that did not mean that her fears had disappeared. They were still there, getting the best of her more often than she would care to admit.

The thing that had changed though, was the fact that the mayor had come to the conclusion that she would lose either way. If she would get involved with Emma there was a chance that she would lose her one day, but if she wouldn't do anything she would lose the chance of being happy altogether.

She would drive out to the stables after lunch, because there she would be able to breathe. And to think. At the stables she would find much needed comfort.

But first she would grab a coffee-to-go at Granny's, because all these sleepless nights were taking a toll on the mayor.

* * *

Emma still could not believe what Ruby had told her last night.

They had known each other for quite a while now, but Emma would have never guessed that Ruby was in love with Ashley Boyd.

That she had been in love with the blonde all the way.

How cruel could life be?

Ashley would marry Sean in a couple of weeks and Ruby would have to stand there, watching it.

What if that would happen to herself one day? If she would miss her chance with Regina and the brunette would fall for someone else?

No, that could not happen. She would not be able to handle that.

* * *

Regina stood at the counter, nervously waiting for her coffee.

When Ruby put it right in front of her not only a minute later, the mayor almost jumped, causing the waitress to look at her in confusion, _"Is everything alright, Mayor Mills?"_

_"Yes…I just…I need you to do me a favor, Miss Lucas."_

* * *

Emma was trying to read some report, but she stared at the keys on her desk all the time.

Belle had stopped by to inform her that she would leave town for the weekend – together with Mister Gold.

He had promised his girlfriend that he would give up his powers for two days because of her birthday and she had talked him into leaving Storybrooke fot the time being.

Emma had no idea how exactly that should work, but she did not even want to know. That sneaky weasel obviously had figured something out. She was just happy that Belle had given her the keys for Gold's cabin in the woods, because she needed time to think, needed to get away from all the craziness.

Right then Ruby entered the office and put a cup of hot chocolate and a bearclaw in front of her and Emma looked at her friend in surprise,_ "Since when do you bring me lunch?"_

_"I don't. The mayor made me do it",_ Ruby stated and rolled her eyes,_ "Oh right…and I'm supposed to give you that too."_

She handed Emma a small white card and let herself fall into the next available chair.

The blonde did not even bother to ask her deputy if she was doing okay, but flipped the card open immediately.

Regina's handwriting – no doubt.

_~The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves. Victor Hugo~_

Emma could not stop herself from smiling brightly and Ruby watched her like a hawk, _"Before you even think about it, Em. Go, get her. She is at the stables…mentioned something about going for a ride."_

* * *

Emma had been out of the office before her deputy had been able to blink.

When she finally arrived at the stables she caught sight of Regina and the already saddled stallion and for once Emma wished she would be more fond of horses, because then she could join the brunette on her ride now.

Regina had stopped the moment she had recognized the Sheriff's car and the blonde was grateful for that, because if she had to run after the horse she would fail miserably.

Emma hurried over, careful not to scare Melech and once she was standing in front of Regina and her stallion, she had to smile.

The mayor and her horse simply were the perfect match, everybody could see that.

_"Thanks for my lunch, Regina",_ Emma announced quickly, when Melech stepped forward and bopped her shoulder with his nose and the brunette started to laugh when she saw the frightened expression on the blonde's face,_ "Don't worry, dear. He likes you. He actually trusts you."_

A bright smile showed on Emma's face and she started to stroke gently over the stallion's head, enjoying it more than she would have ever expected, but then Emma realized that she was crossing Regina's plans and so she finally stepped back, _"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin you ride. I just wanted to say thanks…for…for the bearclaw…and the hot chocolate…and the…note."_

The blonde turned to leave, but Regina grabbed her arm and held her back, _"Emma, wait."_

Now that they were standing there, facing each other, caught up in the eyes of one another, the world and its problems seemed so small, so unimportant and the insanity of their situation was gone as well. Their fears were still there, but in that particular moment they did not matter, because all Emma and Regina could see were each other.

_"Do you have plans for the weekend, Emma?"_

Regina was surprised how easily that question had come over her lips and the blonde seemed to be surprised as well,_ "Uhm…well…depends. Why?"_

"Because if you would be available we could spend some time together, dear. Just you and me. I mean aren't we supposed to get to know each other?"

Emma was so taken aback by the mayor's words that she could not think straight for a second, but then she finally realized that Regina was finally taking a step forward, a step into her direction,_ "Are you suggesting something like a date?"_

_"Yes, that's what I had in mind. So, what do you say, dear?"_

She had wanted to spend the weekend alone, had wanted to think of something to make Regina see that they could work this out, but a plan obviously was no longer needed and so Emma nodded with a smile on her face, _"Absolutely. I already have an idea and that's why I have to get going. Need to do some shopping. I'll make sure Mary Margaret and David watch Henry. I'll pick you up at 9 am. Sharp."_


	30. Chapter 30

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 30**

Regina was pacing around in the hallway once again. It was not even 8.30 am and yet she was nervous as hell. Emma would arrive in about half an hour and they would go on a date.

A real date.

With Emma Swan.

Part of her was scared, but the bigger part of Regina was truly excited and curious. They had never really spent time together, not like that.

What if they had nothing to talk about? Well, that was most unlikely, but still.

And Emma's message from last night, saying that Regina should pack an overnight bag – just in case, was not helping either.

The brunette just prayed that they would not go camping again, because she would not survive that.

* * *

_"So, can you watch Henry this weekend?"_ Emma looked at her parents expectantly.

_"Sure we can watch him, I just don't get why Regina…"_ Mary Margaret could not finish her sentence, because her daughter interrupted her, _"She just can't, okay. She is a grown woman…maybe she has plans for once. Who can blame her for that?"_

_"Fine. So, Henry will come over and then we'll take him to the stables, right?"_ David commented quickly, happy about the opportunity to spend time with his grandson.

_"Exactly. Thanks! See you tomorrow."_

Emma's response was short and rushed, but she wanted to leave before Mary Margaret would start asking questions again.

Questions she was not ready to answer yet.

* * *

Emma had taken Henry and Regina to Granny's to have breakfast and the brunette had been surprised about that move, the blonde could tell.

Their son had enjoyed his time with his mothers more than ever and he had hugged both of them tight once they had dropped him off at the Charmings.

Afterwards they had stopped by at the stables so Regina could check on Melech and the mayor had seemed pleased by Emma's thoughtfulness.

It was already lunchtime when Emma finally parked the bug next to Gold's cabin and the brunette eyed her intensely, _"You asked Rumplestiltskin for help?"_

_"No. Of course not. Gold is not even in Storybrooke and don't ask why or how. All I know is that he took Belle to Boston for her birthday. I got the keys from her and she did not even want to know what I needed the cabin for. I actually planned on coming here alone to get some peace and silence, but then you asked if I wanted to spend time with you…"_ Emma explained, but could tell by the expression on the mayor's face that she had said something wrong.

_"So, I ruined your weekend…_" Regina stated through gritted teeth.

_"What? No! Absolutely not. I like this way better"_, Emma gave Regina her best smile, _"I just didn't want to push you…you know that. But when you said…I'm really happy that we are here now. Away from all these narrow-minded people."_

The mayor laughed at the comment, _"I guess Storybrooke's people would not approve of me as your date."_

_"And I couldn't care less. But I want us to have a nice day without stupid comments."_

Regina nodded and wanted to enter the cabin, but Emma held her back, _"Give me your bag…I'll get it inside real quick and then we'll go for a walk."_

* * *

The walk through the woods had started out great and Emma and Regina had talked about Henry and how well he seemed to handle the situation. Everything had been fine until the mayor asked how Emma was handling her own fears.

_"Well, you know…Ruby was at my place the other night…and we had a really good conversation over whiskey…she is a smart girl…I know people always judge her by her looks, but she is actually great…"_ The blonde stopped walking when she saw the darkening expression on Regina's face, _"What's wrong?"_

_"Miss Lucas was at your apartment? And you drank together?"_

_"It's not what you think, Regina. We just talked…because Ruby had a bad day since Ashley is marrying Sean and…shit, don't tell her that I said that."_

The mayor was confused, but suspicious as well, _"Miss Lucas and Ashley Boyd? Obviously she has a thing for blondes…"_

_"Regina, please don't put this out of proportion now. Ruby and I are friends…that's all."_ Emma became slightly frustrated.

_"It's fine, dear. We are not exclusive or anything. You are free to see whoever you want."_

* * *

The rest of their walk had been silent and Emma did not know what to do. She was aware that Regina's fears and insecurities had gotten the best of her once again and she had to do something about it, but what?

When they finally returned to the cabin Emma was relieved and scared at the same time.

What if Regina would want to leave?

_"Do..do you want something to drink?"_ The blonde stood there, eyes closed, expecting a 'no', but the mayor surprised her, _"Yes, I'd appreciate that."_

And so Emma unlocked the cabin and let Regina step inside.

The moment the brunette caught sight of the already set table, the bouquet of roses, the blankets on the couch and all the candles she was blown away, _"Have you been here before?"_

_"Yeah…yesterday afternoon",_ Emma admitted and gave her a small smile, _"Just sit down and I'll make us some tea, okay? We can light the candles and make a fire when it gets dark."_

* * *

Once both women were seated on the couch, each a cup of tea in hand, Emma tried to sense if Regina was in the mood to continue their conversation, but the mayor answered that question for her before the blonde could have said a word.

_"I'm sorry, Emma. I guess I overreacted earlier…it's just…this whole situation drives me crazy. Literally."_

Emma put her mug onto the couch table and reached out to take the brunette's hand in hers,_ "Hey…I understand. I really do. It's scary with all these feelings…I haven't felt like that in forever…I'm not sure if I have ever felt like that before."_

_"I know exactly what you mean. It's so overwhelming and…I don't even know what to say. Or what to do…what you expect from me",_ Regina looked at their intertwined fingers,_ "I've been in love only once and back then I was a naïve teenager. This is not easy for me. I'm out of my comfort zone if you want to put it like that…because I can't control the feelings I have for you. I wanted to ignore them, but it doesn't work. I'm used to be in control, but this…I'm defenseless…and I…most of all I'm scared that I do something to ruin it, because nothing works out for me…"_

Emma squeezed the brunette's hand softly,_ "Regina…all I ask of you is that you try to be yourself, flaws and all. I want to get to know you…the real you. I basically know who you are already…and it didn't make me run away. It never will. Because I understand you…and I can imagine how difficult it must be for you to let go of your control. To allow yourself to feel what you feel. You've been hurt a lot in your past…me too…but we can work this out…because we are in love with each other. It's our chance to find happiness after all."_

Regina looked Emma straight in the eyes, _"Do you really believe that I am your best shot when it comes to finding happiness?"_

_"Absolutely."_ Emma did not hesitate for a second to respond and the mayor's lips curled into a decent smile.

They sat there for a while, looking at each other, but then Regina broke the silence, _"I think I can't do this."_

_"What? What do you mean?"_ Emma's heart started to race immediately and she felt the panic rising in her chest.

_"I know this is a lot to ask at this point…because we are just starting to date, but…I guess I need to know that you are really in…because as you said…I need to let go of my urge to control everything…I need to let myself fall…and trust that you'll be there to catch me…"_ Regina felt so embarrassed and did not dare to continue.

_"Wait. You are trying to say that I can't date Ruby, right? Or anybody else for the matter…if I want to be with you. It's just you and me…that's what you mean, isn't it?"_ Emma prayed that she was right, because that was exactly what she wanted.

Regina nodded and waited for Emma to start laughing, but it did not happen. Instead the blonde pulled the mayor's hand closer and put a soft kiss on it, _"I can live with that. Especially since I'm not interested in anybody…besides you."_

* * *

Emma and Regina had shared a long and painful conversation about their childhoods afterwards, but they both knew that they had to start at the beginning if they wanted to move forward together.

The blonde had made a fire in the chimney and had lit the candles when the sun had started to get down. And then Emma had fixed them some pasta on the small stove and she had not even burned anything – much to her own and Regina's surprise.

_"We can leave and you can sleep in your own bed if you want…"_ Emma suggested while she was cleaning the table.

_"No, it's fine. I don't mind staying the night. The cabin is way more comfortable then that little tent of yours and I survived that too",_ Regina stated and laughed.

_"True. "_ The blonde was so relieved, she wanted to hug the whole world.

When she was done cleaning she found Regina leaning against the doorframe, watching the stars. Emma had not even realized that the mayor had opened the door of the cabin, but she enjoyed the sight of an obviously relaxed Regina Mills, who was having a good time, even with all the heavy talk.

Emma stopped behind the brunette and Regina immediately leaned back against her, which made Emma smile happily and she wrapped her arms round Regina's waist to hold her close.

There they stood, looking up into the sky, sharing a moment of closeness, enjoying the presence of one another and Regina felt safe again. And protected. Like she had felt that night she had slept in the tent. And it made her see that Emma really could be her destiny.

* * *

Once they had closed the door Regina took another look at the beautiful red roses, smiling in appreciation, _"So I take it there won't be more cards then…"_

It was just a joke, but when Emma pulled a small, white card out of her jeans pocket and handed it to her, the brunette was surprised once again.

And she was even more surprised when she flipped the card open and read the quote it held.

_~Remember tonight…for it is the beginning of always. Dante Alighieri~_

A single tear made its way down Regina's face, she simply was too overwhelmed by her own emotions. And by Emma's conviction. She was so grateful, so unbelievably happy, that she did not even know what to do about it, but when Emma stepped closer she simply pulled the blonde into a hug to prove to herself that all of this was really happening.

Emma sensed that the day had completely worn out Regina and she moved them over to the couch, still holding the brunette close, _"Want to get some rest?"_

The mayor nodded and the blonde looked from the couch to the small bed in the far corner of the cabin, _"Where do you want to sleep? Your choice."_

_"Can I sleep here? Together with you?"_ The insecurity in Regina's voice was unmistakable and Emma had to admit that she was truly surprised.

_"Sure."_

The lying area was big enough for two people anyway. The couch could not be very old, Gold most have gotten it recently and Emma was glad about that.

She lay down quickly and Regina followed suit.

When the brunette moved close enough Emma wrapped her into her arms and Regina rested her head on the blonde's shoulder, glad that Emma did not mind.

Regina might never have been someone, who had needed physical contact, but tonight was different. She had told Emma pretty much everything about her past and although the blonde had already known the most from her diary, it still had been complicated and painful for Regina to talk about it, to remember the whole tragedy to its full, cruel extent.

Facing the demons of her past had left Regina feeling more defenseless and vulnerable than ever and Emma must feel the same, because the blonde had tightened her grip on her twice.

Being so close to each other made them both feel safe, made them realize that they were exactly where they belonged.

* * *

When Regina woke up the next morning she was still in Emma's arms and a smile appeared on her face. The blonde must have covered them with a blanket once she had fallen asleep, because it had not been there when Regina had drifted off.

Now that she had time to study Emma's face, simply because the blonde was still in dreamland, the brunette started to wonder how she had gotten so lucky.

Emma truly cared about her, she could feel it. And as scared as she was, Regina had come to the conclusion that grabbing her chance with both hands was her only option.

They could find happiness – together.

* * *

Emma had woken up some minutes later and they had enjoyed breakfast in comfortable silence.

Afterwards the blonde had packed up their stuff and Regina had suggested to stop by at the mansion to take a shower, because Emma had told her that they would go back to the stables to check on Melech and the mayor had been overjoyed.

It meant so much to Regina that Emma respected that she cared so much about the stallion, especially since she knew that the blonde was not very fond of horses.

And so they had made it back to the Mayor's mansion in the end, but Emma had insisted to go to her own apartment for a shower. It would give both of them some time to reflect and clear their thoughts and Regina had agreed to that, because she really needed a few minutes to calm down after the last 24 hours.

* * *

The hot shower had worked its magic and Regina was excited to see Emma again soon. She had never thought that she would feel so comfortable in the blonde's presence one day, but the truth was that she craved for it like she had never craved for anything before.

Especially since last night.

Regina was putting her make up on when she heard that the front door got opened and she smiled.

Emma.

She had told the blonde that she should let herself in when she would come back.

Once last glance into the mirror, a satisfied grin and Regina made it down the stairs, immediately catching sight of Emma, who was waiting in the hallway, smiling happily.

And Regina realized right then and there how drawn she felt to the blonde, how much she had missed Emma in this short amount of time.

She felt like a teenager again, felt like back then when she had been in love with Daniel, just better.

And as soon as she stood in front of Emma their eyes locked again, revealing all the emotions that were hidden within their souls and Regina took another step forward until Emma wrapped her hands round her waist and the feeling of safety and belonging spread in the brunette's chest all over again.

She brought her hands up to Emma's face, her thumbs stroking gently over the blonde's cheeks.

Regina was so fascinated by the warmth in Emma's eyes, by the feeling of their hearts beating against each others' and this sensation caused her to close her eyes.

To close her eyes and lean in till she could feel Emma's breath on her lips, causing them to tickle in amazement, but Regina hesitated for a second.

What if she was not ready? What if Emma was not ready?

But then she felt the blonde's arms tighten around her body, careful not to hurt her and yet the small gesture was enough, was all the reassurance Regina needed.

And so she closed the last small distances between Emma and her, let their lips touch in a breathtakingly soft and gentle first kiss.

And then time stood still.


	31. Chapter 31

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 31**

Regina was afraid to break the spell of the moment by pulling back, but when she recognized the genuine smile on Emma's face, she realized that the magic was still there.

She had not planned on kissing Emma, had not even really thought about it and maybe that had been the reason why she had found the courage to do it.

And it had felt amazing.

A chaste kiss had taken her breath away.

And there was this unbelievable warmth within her chest, a warmth she had never felt before, a warmth that covered her whole heart.

* * *

Emma could not stop smiling, because she felt like the happiest and luckiest person on the planet.

She still was holding Regina close and she had no intention of letting go anytime soon, because it simply felt too good.

The kiss had been completely unexpected, had come out of the blue, but Emma had enjoyed it thoroughly none-the-less. She had never felt that drawn to anybody before, had never been so bewitched by a single kiss, but on the other hand she had never been that in love before either.

And Emma was so glad that Regina had made this move, because she would not have dared to, especially since she had promised not to push the brunette and she would stick to that promise, no matter what.

* * *

When they arrived at the stables Emma handed Regina a basket with carrots and apples and the brunette seemed to be surprised once again.

_"What?"_ Emma asked playfully, _"I thought Melech deserves some treats too."_

_"That's really nice. And I mean that. Thank you, Emma."_

The stallion obviously was overjoyed to see them, or at least Regina, because he came running with a neigh once he caught sight of them and the brunette petted him happily_, "Are you up for another walk?"_

Emma nodded quickly, _"Sure. It would be my pleasure."_

* * *

It had been a comfortable and relaxed walk with a nice conversation about plans for the upcoming weeks and Regina had suggested to have dinner together on Friday - just Emma and her, which had caused Emma to smile brightly and she had had offered to ask Ruby to watch Henry, because the Charmings were no option. It would only get them suspicious. And nobody was ready for that yet.

Melech had snorted satisfied the whole time and Emma had fed him some carrots and apples on the way, after the brunette had promised her that the horse would not bite her arm off and to the blonde's surprise the stallion had been really gentle.

When Melech was back in his paddock Emma and Regina agreed that a family dinner at Granny's would be the perfect ending for their weekend and so the blonde had called her mother to let her know that they would pick up Henry in a few minutes.

* * *

Once they sat in their favorite booth, Henry eyed his mothers suspiciously, even more so because they were sitting next to each other, _"So, are you guys okay with each other?"_

_"Yes, kid, we are perfectly fine."_

_"That's good…but what exactly does that mean?"_ Henry looked from Emma to Regina and back.

_"That means that Emma and I will keep dating. Are you okay with that?"_ The insecurity in Regina's voice was unmistakable, but Henry's smile became only brighter, _"I knew it! So you are a real couple now, right?"_

_"Yes, I guess that's what it means",_ Emma nodded and the brunette added in a playful tone, _"There's no guessing, Miss Swan."_

* * *

They had explained to Henry that their slowly blossoming relationship had to stay a secret for a while though, because they wanted to take things slow and once people found out the peace and silence would be over.

Henry had understood immediately and he had felt sorry for his mothers, because he had seen and treated his mother as nothing, but The Evil Queen long enough, before he had come to understand that there was more to Regina than the evil part of her and that she indeed deserved a chance.

But Emma had reassured him that things would be fine, that it just needed some time.

* * *

Emma had walked Regina and Henry home after a nice dinner at the diner and their son had headed upstairs the second they had arrived at the mansion – to give his mothers some private time.

_"I truly enjoyed our weekend together. Thank you. For everything."_ Regina had moved herself into Emma's arms the second their son had disappeared, knowing that she had to say 'Good night' to the blonde now.

_"Thanks for being my awesome date, Madame Mayor. I couldn't have asked for better company"_, Emma smiled and pulled the brunette even closer.

_"Do I get to see you before family dinner, Sheriff?"_ Regina did not know why she had asked that, but somehow it seemed too long to wait till Wednesday to see Emma again. Where did all this come from? She had always been good on her own, but now that the blonde was about to leave she felt weird.

Emma could tell that it was hard for Regina to let go, to say 'Good bye' for now, because she felt the same way, but she also knew that they could not rush things, _"I think I could come up with some excuse to stop by at your office tomorrow."_

_"I'd appreciate that._"

And then Emma and Regina leaned in to share a sweet and heartfelt kiss.

A kiss, which left both of them wondering why they had never felt like that before.

* * *

Regina had not been able to fall asleep for a while that night, because somehow she missed having Emma by her side and she was not very familiar with that feeling. And it scared her that the blonde had become so important to her when she had kept everybody on distance for so long.

When she got up the next morning she was in a good mood though, because she looked forward to seeing Emma and Regina knew it were just the same old fears that drove her crazy, but she would not let them get to her this time.

Everything was fine and she was actually happy – and she would try her hardest to keep it that way.

* * *

Emma was sitting at the station, trying to get a report done, but she was not really able to concentrate, because all she could think about was Regina Mills.

She had spent all night with her memories of their weekend and it had kept her awake till the morning.

The moment she had lay down she had realized that she missed Regina and that fact had made her chuckle. Who would have guessed?!

Emma felt like her fears had disappeared over night when Regina and her had spent the night at the cabin, but she was aware that it would not be that easy for the brunette.

She would grab lunch at the diner and head over to the Mayor's office and she could hardly wait to see Regina again.

It was so bizarre and yet it felt so "normal" – as if things had always been that way.

* * *

Regina had needed a break from work and so she had headed over to Granny's to have lunch.

When she had caught sight of Emma, who was walking straight into her direction, she had felt utterly happy.

But then the blonde had entered the diner, obviously completely tense and had headed straight for the counter to talk to Ruby, who had started to glare at her in shock only a few seconds later.

What was that supposed to mean?

Before Regina could do anything, Emma had walked over to her, giving her an apologetic look,_ "Hey! I'm sorry, but I won't be able to come by your office today."_

_"That's fine, dear. I'm busy anyway."_ The brunette tried to hide her disappointment, but she did not really succeed. She knew that her eyes were giving her away, when Emma squeezed her hand quickly, _"Regina, I'm really sorry. It's just…something happened."_

The mayor's face fell, her fears kicking back in instantly. Of course something had happened. It had been too good to be true.

_"Don't, Regina. It has nothing to do with you. Belle came back from Boston this morning. She came back alone. Gold is dead."_

* * *

_~Someone has to die in order that the rest of us should value life more. Virginia Woolf~_

* * *

Regina was sitting in her study, drinking cider and tried to process what Emma had told her just a few minutes ago.

Rumplestiltskin had done his last breath.

He had spent a lovely weekend in Boston with his beloved Belle, but there had been a shooting between two gangs and he had gotten shot accidently. Twice.

He had died right then and there and Belle was devastated.

Regina knew she should feel relieved, because her long-time enemy was gone, but the truth was that she was quite miserable.

It was not exactly Gold's death that got under her skin, but the realization that everything could be taken away from one within a heartbeat.

She had been through it before, but now that she was finally starting to be happy again it scared the hell out of her.

It had taken Gold forever to get his own happy ending and not long after that he had died. Rumplestiltskin had been one of the most powerful people she had ever met and yet all it had taken in the end was a bullet. Well, two in fact.

What if they shared the same destiny? If something would happen to her or Emma. Or Henry. What if she would not get the time to actually be happy and enjoy that happiness?

* * *

Emma had watched Regina storm off after she had told her the news.

She had no idea what the problem was, but there had to be something and she had wanted to ask the brunette about it later, but the mayor had not been in her office.

So she had tried to call Regina three times during the next few hours, but the brunette had not answered her calls.

When Emma finally arrived at her apartment after a long day at work and a depressing conversation with Belle, she was exhausted, but more than that she was worried, because Regina had not even called her back.

It was late and Henry would be sleeping already, but Emma had to know what was going on and she was way too concerned to sleep anyway.

And so she headed back out and over to the Mayor's mansion.

* * *

When Emma arrived at the front door she hesitated.

Should she try to call Regina again? If she would just ring the doorbell she might wake up Henry and that was the last thing she wanted.

Maybe the brunette had not locked the door?

And to Emma's surprise it really was unlocked once she tried to open it. Regina and her would need to have a conversation about that later.

She took off her shoes and headed for the study, but the door was open and nobody was inside.

Was the mayor sleeping already?

Emma knew if she would wake Regina the hell might break loose, but she had to make sure that the brunette was okay and so she went upstairs, just to recognize that the light in Regina's bedroom was still on and so she knocked, careful to make not too much noise, because of Henry.

* * *

Regina was sitting on her bed, lost in thoughts, but when she heard a knock on her door she almost jumped.

Maybe Henry had a nightmare or something.

_"Come on in."_

But the second the door opened and she caught sight of Emma, Regina's eyes grew wide, _"Emma! What are you doing here?"_

_"I was worried sick. You just ran off after I told you about Gold. I've tried to call you more than once, I've been at your office, but you weren't there…are you okay?"_ The blonde explained quickly.

_"Oh…I'm sorry. I guess my phone is still in my office."_ Regina gave Emma an apologetic smile.

_"It's okay. You forgot to lock your door as well…care to tell me what's going on?"_

The worried tone in the blonde's voice was unmistakable.

_"Come here and take a seat, please"_, the brunette offered and Emma did as she was told.

For a few moments there was nothing, but silence until Regina took the blonde's right hand in her own, holding it tight, _"I just realized today…once again...how precious life is. That it takes only a heartbeat and everything can be taken away from you. We never know how much time we have…and now that I'm happy again…hearing about Gold's death...it left me scared again. Scared that I'll lose you or Henry and I could not handle that. I know it…but Gold and I have done so many bad things…maybe we simply don't deserve to be happy. How much time did he have with Belle? A couple of weeks…what if…"_

But right then Emma put her index finger to the brunette's lips and stopped her from continuing, _"Don't, Regina. Don't even think that. You deserve to be happy and I won't let anything happen to you. I know it's always in the moments somebody dies that we get how lucky we are…how much we could lose…and that's okay…I'm scared too…when I talked to Belle earlier today and saw how terrible she felt…I wanted to run and hide somewhere. I don't know what I would do if I'd lose you or Henry, but I know…no matter what happens…I will always have my memories. And while I don't have a lot of good ones about my past, I'm willing to make some great ones together with you for as long we can. What do you think about that?"_

Regina could not say a word, but she pulled Emma close, hugged her as tight as possible and held on for dear life, knowing that the blonde was right. It was all about the memories.

And they would make the best ones – together.


	32. Chapter 32

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 32**

Henry glared at the alarm clock on his nightstand and jumped up immediately.

It was close to 9 am and his mother had not woken him up yet, which meant he would be late for school.

What was going on?

Regina never overslept, she had been an early bird all his life.

Okay, she had been a bit weird yesterday, but his mother had had weird days before and she still had managed to wake him up on time.

Something had to be up and so Henry made it over to his mother's bedroom, slightly worried, but as soon as he pushed the door open a bright smile appeared on his face.

Emma was lying on the bed, still in her work clothes, Henry could tell, and Regina was snuggled up to her side, her head resting on the blonde's shoulder and Emma's arms were wrapped round his mother's body in a protective way.

Both of them sound asleep and a peaceful expression on their faces.

And Henry was thrilled, because he had never seen his mother like this before.

Regina seemed to be so at ease, seemed so much happier. The last few weeks she had been smiling and laughing more than she had been during the last ten years altogether.

He was glad that his mother finally had found some peace and happiness and Henry prayed that things would stay that way, because this was not only good for Regina, but for Emma as well.

And he truly hoped that the people of Storybrooke would see that too – once his mothers would be ready to step out in the open.

* * *

Henry had made it into the kitchen without waking anybody and he felt proud, especially since he wanted to surprise Emma and Regina by making breakfast.

He took a moment to remember what he needed to make coffee, which was not that hard, because he had watched his mother do it countless times.

Once the coffee maker was switched on and working he made it over to the fridge, studying its content intensely and after a while he decided that he would go with making sandwiches. Everybody had liked them back then when they had been camping.

* * *

Emma woke up to the smell of coffee and a huge smile appeared on her face, but then she realized that Regina was still in her arms, sleeping.

And then she became aware of the fact that she had fallen asleep at the brunette's house although she had wanted to leave after their conversation, but Regina had been so fragile and she had promised to stay until the brunette would have fallen asleep.

Obviously she had went straight to dreamland as well.

Well, she sure did not mind waking up next to Regina, but since the mayor was still sleeping, who was down in the kitchen making coffee?

It could only mean that...Henry!

She had to check, she had to see if their son was okay, if he was upset or anything and somebody had to get him ready for school as well.

Emma managed to get out of bed without waking Regina, wondering how she had succeeded in doing that once again.

* * *

Sneaking out of the bedroom had been easy, but when she checked her phone on the way down the stairs, recognizing that they had overslept, she almost lost her balance.

When she finally entered the kitchen she was surprised to find Henry making sandwiches, looking relaxed and happy.

_"Morning, kid…"_

_"Emma! Good that you are here…can you set the table, please?"_ He eyed the blonde expectantly.

_"Uhm…sure. But I guess I'll text Mary Margaret first and tell her that she doesn't need to worry about you…"_ Emma suggested and started typing immediately.

* * *

Henry was packing all the ingredients back into the fridge and Emma was almost done with setting the table by the time Regina appeared in the kitchen, staring at the scene in front of her in disbelief.

She felt so embarrassed, but Emma and Henry obviously were in a good mood and once her son came to hug her, at least some of her tension disappeared.

_"Mom, I made coffee. And breakfast."_ The pride in Henry's voice was unmistakable.

_"I can see that, sweetheart. Thank you."_ Regina bent down to kiss her son on the forehead. She debated what to do about Emma, because this situation was new and she felt a bit awkward, but she was still so startled that she had overslept, that she could not concentrate on anything else. Regina had never overslept in her life. Well, that was not true. She had overslept once when she had been a teenager and Cora's punishment had been painful. It had been winter, a very cold one in fact, and her mother had let her stand outside for an hour in nothing, but her nightgown – to "wake up" and Regina had been sick for weeks afterwards.

_"You know, you two can kiss each other…I'm okay with that."_ Henry's comment had Regina out of her thoughts instantly and Emma was blushing at his words, but she was brave enough to walk over to Regina though, giving her a quick peck on the lips, _"Good morning."_

* * *

Breakfast was one big laugh because of Henry and his smartass comments about Emma sleeping in Regina's bed in her leather jacket.

_"What? I love to wear my leather…"_ but as soon as the blonde realized how that must sound she shut up and blushed again.

_"Really, dear? Good to know…but that's no appropriate topic while our son is around",_ Regina had been surprised by her own comment.

_"I'll go, get dressed. Since it's no school for me today I want to go to the stables."_ That said Henry stormed out of the kitchen.

_"Next time you'll get out of that jacket before you show up in my bedroom, understand?"_

_"Who says there will be a next time? Besides…would you prefer Henry catching me in your bedroom in my underwear?"_ Emma watched Regina intensely and noticed the slight blush on the brunette's cheeks.

_"Don't tell me you only were a bra under that jacket",_ the brunette eyed the blonde suspiciously.

_"Of course not. I don't want you to kill anyone, because they have seen me without my jacket",_ Emma continued their light and playful banter.

_"Right. Especially since you've told Henry that I have the eyes of a wolf."_ Regina laughed at the sight of the shocked expression on Emma's face.

_"He told you that?!"_ The blonde glared at the mayor in disbelief,_ "Uhm…well…in my defense…uh…"_

In her defense what?

_"So, since you told our son that I have the eyes of a wolf…any luck in discovering the beauty of the beast yet?"_ It was Regina's turn now to glare at Emma, who was caught up in the brunette's brown eyes and not able to think straight.

_"You are not a beast"_, the blonde finally managed to come up with an answer after taking a deep breath,_ "But beautiful, definitely."_

* * *

The week had went by a lot faster than expected.

Emma had spent most of her time searching for Gold's dagger – The dagger of The Dark One – because Regina, Belle and her had agreed that it had to be destroyed before it would get into the wrong hands.

But they had not found it yet. Even dead that sneaky weasel was causing nothing, but trouble.

Regina and Henry had spent a lot of time at the stables and the mayor had started to consider her son's wish about getting a horse of his own and even Emma seemed to approve. They would have to talk about this some more though.

Family dinner had been a blast and Henry had told his mothers that he was so happy for them, that he loved having a real family now.

Emma and Regina had been so proud of their son, because he was so understanding and supportive, they could not have wished for a better reaction from Henry.

And so it had been no surprise to Emma that her son had been packed and ready to leave the mansion when she had come to pick him up Friday afternoon, so he could spend the evening with Ruby while she would enjoy her date with Regina.

_"Kid, are you sure that you are okay with staying with Ruby?"_ Emma had to make sure before they would enter the diner.

_"I am. Don't worry, okay? I know that you and mom need some alone time…and we do a lot of stuff together as well…so, it's cool. Besides…I like Ruby. She tells the best stories about the Enchanted Forest."_

* * *

Dinner had been delicious and now that Emma and Regina were sitting on the couch of the mayor's study, both a glass of wine in hand, they were back to the heavy talk and yet both of them felt somehow comfortable.

_"I've had a very hard time when I left Storybrooke…I had lost my magic from one second to the next and I was on withdrawal…kind of",_ Regina admitted out of the blue.

_"I understand…I guess. Is that the reason why you didn't come back for so long?"_

_"Yes. I was a mess…and I had no one to talk to. It took me a while to be okay. I'm not me without my magic. A part of me is missing when I don't have it and yet without magic life would be so much easier"_, the mayor stated and took a sip of wine.

_"It's scary as hell. Since I know that I have magic I'm paranoid that I'll make something explode or anything like that, because I don't really have control over it",_ Emma answered honestly and her eyes met with Regina's once again.

_"We can practice together if you want. I could teach you. "_

The blonde nodded eagerly, _"I'd love that."_

_"Then we're on, dear. Thanks to Melech I'm a lot calmer and more down to earth lately. That horse is amazing…and so are you. I can't thank you enough for rescuing him. Because by doing that you saved me as well."_

Emma wanted to say something, but right then the doorbell rang.

* * *

Mary Margaret was mad.

She had wanted nothing, but to have a nice time at Granny's while she waited for David to come home from working at the shelter. But the second she had entered the diner she had seen Henry, who had been sitting at the counter, chatting with Ruby.

Why had Emma not asked her if she could watch her grandson? And where was her daughter anyway? And what about Regina? The mayor seemed to be too busy to watch her son as well. Again.

She had tried to call Emma twice, but had went straight to her voicemail. Maybe she was working, Emma was the sheriff after all.

And so Mary Margaret had decided to talk to Regina instead, because a diner was not the right place for a ten-year-old.

While she had rang the bell she had felt brave, but now that she heard footsteps Mary Margaret's courage seemed to disappear and once a furious Regina Mills flung the door open she regretted that she had come here completely.

_"Miss Blanchard! To what do I owe the pleasure?"_ The sarcastic tone in Regina's voice could not be ignored.

_"I just came to ask why Henry is sitting at the diner all by himself while you are at home, doing God knows what. That's irresponsible, Regina. And you of all people should know that."_ Mary Margaret stated firmly, eager to make a point.

In that moment Emma appeared next to the mayor and Mary Margaret went pale, _"Back off, Mary Margaret. Henry is fine. Ruby is finishing her shift in about ten minutes and then he'll be out of the diner anyway."_

It took a while till the teacher was able to speak again,_ "So, Ruby is watching Henry tonight? Care to tell me why? Especially since you're both here. What the hell is going on?"_


	33. Chapter 33

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 33**

_"Regina, would you give me a second with Mary Margaret?"_ Emma's voice was soft and calm, but inside she was furious as hell.

_"Of course, dear. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."_ Regina left immediately, not knowing what to think of the blonde's comment. Maybe Emma would tell her mother a stupid lie, just to get her to leave, because the mayor was sure that the blonde would not tell Mary Margaret the truth.

* * *

Once Regina was out of sight Mary Margaret stepped closer to her daughter, eyeing her suspiciously, _"Emma, what's going on?"_

_"Uhm…please, don't freak out now…but Regina and I…we are dating. We're in love."_ The blonde stated simply, because she knew there was no way round this conversation, so she would have it now and out of the way.

Mary Margaret stood there, trying to process what her daughter had just told her. She had known, no she had seen the emotions in Regina's eyes back then, but this was…no!

It could not be true.

_"Emma…you can't be serious. Regina is The Evil…",_ but Mary Margaret could not continue her sentence, because the blonde interrupted her, _"She is not. Not anymore. Regina has changed…and before you start your big speech now…don't try to talk me out of this, Mary Margaret. Nobody gets a say on my feelings. That's my decision. Please stay out of my life…when it comes to personal matters like that. I know you are my mother and you are worried, but I'm not a teenager anymore. All my life I wanted to have a family and now that I have found you…I don't want to lose you over the person I'm in love with. Regina and I…we don't have a history like the two of you have. I don't see her the way you see her. Just stay out of this, please. Because I want you in my life. All of you."_

Mary Margaret sighed heavily, _"I can't make any promises, Emma. Because this is just too weird and David…I have no idea how he will react to the news…but we have to talk about this sooner or later."_

_"Please, don't tell David. I want to tell him myself…and I know that we have to talk. Can you come to my place tomorrow afternoon?"_ Emma looked at her mother, a pleading expression on her face.

Mary Margaret nodded, _"Fine. I won't tell him. But you have to tell him tomorrow, because I'm not going to lie to my husband. Good night, Emma."_

* * *

Regina had not meant to listen, but she had witnessed part of the conversation anyway. Emma simply had spoken too loud.

Somehow she felt relieved that the blonde had told her mother, but on the other hand Regina was afraid of the consequences.

But before she could start to worry too much she felt Emma's presence right behind her and the brunette could not stop herself from leaning back against the blonde's body.

As soon as Emma wrapped her arms round her waist from behind Regina felt safe again, felt protected and that made her calm down a little.

_"I'm afraid I can't go to the stables with you tomorrow. I need to talk to David."_

Regina placed her hands gently over Emma's, squeezing them reassuringly, _"I know. That's okay. If you want me to be there just say a word. It's not fair to let you take all the fire."_

_"I'll be fine, don't worry. I really appreciate the offer, but I think it's better if you take Henry to the stables, because I don't want him worried again."_

* * *

They had returned to the study only a few moments later.

Emma was lying on the couch, together with Regina, who was snuggled up to her side once again and the blonde realized how much she enjoyed having the brunette so close.

Both women stared into the fire, which was flickering in the chimney, both deep in thought.

After a while Emma decided to lighten the mood, because she would not let her parents ruin her date with Regina. She would not let them ruin anything at all.

_"So, I thought about taking riding lessons…"_

_"What?"_ Regina moved herself into a sitting position, looking at the blonde in disbelief, _"You don't even like horses."_

_"Yeah, but I don't want to stay at the stables all the time while you and Henry will leave for all these amazingly great rides…I want to come with you."_ Emma explained the obvious and that caused the brunette to smile brightly,_ "Well, in that case, dear…I could give you lessons. Melech should be ready for that too."_

_"You want me to ride that crazy horse of yours? I'm glad that he doesn't kill me when I stand inside of his paddock"_, Emma countered playfully.

_"Careful, Miss Swan. You're talking about my stallion here and you keep telling me that Melech and I are the perfect match. Should I be offended now?"_

Both women had to laugh at the comment, but then Emma pulled Regina down again.

Pulled her down and leaned in to share a lingering kiss with the mayor.

* * *

_"I think I should get going. I told Ruby that I would pick up Henry before midnight",_ Emma stated simply and pulled her phone out of her jacket to call her friend and let her know that she was on the way.

That was when she recognized that Ruby had sent her a text message earlier, saying that Henry would stay the night with her, because they were having a great time.

Emma could not stop herself from laughing out loud. That kid really was too smart for her.

But Ruby clearly could need some distraction, because she was having a hard time with Ashley's upcoming wedding and all. So maybe it would be good that Henry was over there at the moment, because Emma was pretty sure that her son had found a way to cheer Ruby up.

_"What's so funny?"_ Regina wanted to know after staring at the blonde for a while.

_"Henry is not coming home tonight. He's staying with Ruby."_

_"Now why would he do that?"_ The mayor did not understand and Emma started to laugh again, _"For once, because he has fun with Ruby…and I guess because he's being a smartass again."_

_"Oh. "_ Regina blushed at Emma's comment.

_"Hey"_, the blonde stepped closer to Regina, taking the mayor's hand in her own,_ "No rushing things, remember? We'll take things as slow as we want."_

_"Emma…please don't think that I don't want to…but I really have to go slow, because I'm not used to this. To having a relationship, to having feelings for somebody…feelings, that are this strong and I'm scared and…"_

Emma pulled the brunette into her arms, holding her close, her right hand stroking over Regina's head gently, _"You're safe with me. I promise."_

* * *

Emma had wanted to leave and spend the night at her apartment, but Regina had insisted that she should stay at the mansion and so they had ended up in the mayor's bed, wrapped up in each others' arms.

Both had slept peacefully and waking up next to each other was quite a sensation. One neither Regina, nor Emma would ever get tired of.

The blonde had dressed quickly to pick up Henry and Regina had prepared breakfast in the meantime and so they had shared a nice morning together before the mayor and their son had left for the stables.

And Emma had returned to her apartment, knowing full-well that things might get complicated once David and Mary Margaret would arrive.

* * *

It was close to 3 pm when it finally knocked on Emma's door and the blonde could feel her heart racing in her chest.

When she opened the door, she found David outside, but Mary Margaret was nowhere to be seen, _"Sorry I'm late. Your mother said there is something you want to tell me."_

_"Yeah, come on in…where is she by the way?"_ Emma was startled and confused.

_"She's at Doctor Hopper's. He called around lunchtime and asked if she could come by, because he wanted to discuss something with her about some therapy horse project or something. That's why I'm actually late…I waited for her to come back, but she's still there, so I thought I'd better get over here by myself, so you don't have to wait forever."_ David gave her a smile and Emma stepped aside to let him in.

By the time she closed the door she wished that Regina would be here, because she had a feeling that things would not go that well.

* * *

Once David had taken a seat on her couch, Emma handed him a glass of water, too nervous to face her father yet.

This was a bad idea.

_"Care to tell me what's going on? Mary Margaret had been all secretive."_

Emma took a deep breath, because she knew there was no escape. She had to tell her father or Mary Margaret would and that would end up even worse, _"I'm seeing somebody…like as in dating."_

_"Well, that's good. It is good, right?"_ David did not understand what the big deal was. His daughter had a boyfriend, so what?

_"It is..I'm happy. Like really happy."_ A bright smile appeared on her face as soon as she thought of Regina.

_"I'm glad. But why are you telling me this? I'm sure you are old enough to date. And I'm sure we don't need to have THAT talk either…so…"_

_"I'm seeing Regina."_

There it was, the truth that could not be avoided. Emma had not meant to blurt it out, but it had happened anyway.

_"What?!"_ David jumped up immediately, glaring at his daughter in disbelief, _"You are seeing whom?"_

_"Calm down, please. It's not like we planned on falling in love to punish you or something"_, Emma commented fiercely.

_"Regina is not capable of loving anybody or anything. She's playing you. It's her newest attempt to get to us. It's part of her revenge, can't you see that?"_

_"David, you are wrong. She has changed. She's not evil anymore."_

_"She will always be evil. It's all she knows. She wanted to kill your mother, she wanted to kill us all. She's the reason why were are here for Heaven's sake! She is the reason you never had a real home!"_ He yelled out of anger and frustration.

_"That's the past. You have no idea, who she is. At least you don't know who she is now."_ Emma stared at her stubborn father and she felt the darkness rising within her. She had to end this conversation. She had to end it now.

_"I don't give a damn. You are not seeing her again, are we clear?!"_ David stared his daughter into the ground.

_"That's not up to you. That's my decision. As you pointed out earlier…I'm old enough."_

_"Emma…if you don't stop this charade with Regina right now…you won't be my daughter any longer. She has caused us enough pain already. So, if you want to ruin your life…go for it. But know the consequences, because then Mary Margaret and I can't be a part of your life anymore."_

Emma stood there, angry as hell, but more than that – shocked about her father's words, _"So, you're making me choose? My parents or my family?"_

_"We are your family, Emma. Can't you see that? Mary Margaret and me…and Henry."_ David was close to losing his mind. This had to be one sick joke,

_"Regina is my family too."_

_"Your choice, Emma. Being with that woman is no option and you should know that."_ David sounded a lot harsher than usual, but Emma was too worked up to care. She needed all her willpower to control herself.

_"Then I want you to go."_ She said it without the slightest hint of emotion.

_"Is that your last word?"_ He could not believe that Emma was doing that to him, to them. How could his own daughter choose The Evil Queen over him?

_"Absolutely." _And Emma was deadly serious.

* * *

David had left without another word and once the door had closed Emma had fallen to her knees and had screamed her soul out.

She was surrounded by darkness and in that moment she did not even care. She did not want to calm down, did not want to focus. All she wanted was that the pain in her heart would disappear.

* * *

Regina was sitting in her study, frozen.

She had wanted to check on Emma, but David had been there. All she had heard was yelling, all she had heard was that David had made Emma choose.

She had wanted to knock, but all courage had left her in that moment, because she had remembered Emma's conversation with Mary Margaret from last night.

The blonde had told her mother that she wanted all of them to be a part of her life, but it clearly would not be happening.

And whom would Emma choose? Why would she choose her over her parents? The parents she had longed for all her life? The parents Emma had been separated from because of her.

No, Emma would not choose her. Nobody would ever choose her.

Regina knew she was overreacting and that her fears were kicking back in, but the truth was, that even if Emma would choose her – it could not happen.

Because Regina Mills had finally understood one thing.

Love meant to put somebody else first. Love meant to do what was best for somebody else, but oneself.

She truly cared about Emma and that was why there was no way that the blonde would lose her family. She would not let it happen. No matter what it might cost her.

* * *

It had taken Emma forever to get herself back together and she was sure that she would have bruises all over her body tomorrow. She had slammed herself against the wall countless times, because the anger had not disappeared for a long time, but she did not care.

She was hurt and she was mad, but David had a right to make his own decisions, even if it meant that he would abandon his own daughter.

It was his decision and she had to accept that. And she would.

Emma had grown up without her parents, why would she need them now?

When she finally arrived at the mansion she felt the warmth coming back to her heart, at least a little.

Regina would be able to give her comfort. And that was all she needed, it was all she wanted.

She might have lost her parents over this, but she still had a family she could hold on to.

But when Regina opened the door, Emma recognized that something was wrong, because the brunette's expression was hard. And cold,_ "Emma, you can't be here. You need to go."_

_"What? I just had the worst freak out ever because of David and you are sending me away?"_ Emma could not believe it. Life was kicking her in the guts once again.

_"That's exactly why you can't stay. One day you would hate me for this and I couldn't live with that. So I really need you to go."_ Regina tried her hardest not to cry, but she felt her eyes tearing up already.

_"Regina, what the hell are you talking about? I could never hate you. Please, talk to me."_ Emma answered pleadingly, but the mayor shook her head fiercely, making clear that Regina had no intention to talk to her.

_"Miss Swan, you need to leave now. I can't do this. I can't let you love me."_


	34. Chapter 34

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 34**

Henry was mad. Really mad.

He had seen Emma sitting on the porch of the mansion last night. He had seen her cry heavily when he had took a look out of his window.

And Regina had been crying bitterly all night as well.

He knew exactly what it meant, but he did not understand why it had happened.

Everything had been fine, everyone had been happy.

How was it possible that pain was the only thing left now?

He was aware of the fact that he should go home after school, but he could not. He had to find Emma, had to find out what was going on.

But when Henry arrived at the station he recognized that Emma was not there. She was not at home either, because he had been there first.

Regina had not said a word in the morning and he had not dared to ask either, because his mother clearly had not been feeling well.

In fact he had been worried that Regina would break down any second.

_"Henry, what are you doing here?"_

The familiar voice of his teacher and grandmother had him out of his thoughts immediately,_ "I'm worried about mom. And Emma."_

* * *

Mary Margaret had taken him with her and now that Henry was sitting on the couch, drinking hot chocolate, she started to wonder what Henry had meant when he had said that he was worried about his mothers. Worried about her daughter.

Right that moment David entered the apartment, surprised to see his grandson and he gave Mary Margaret a questioning look. He had not seen his wife after his talk with Emma, because he had been asked to take an extra shift at the shelter and he had been glad about it. Mary Margaret would freak out if he told her the news.

_"Henry is worried about Emma and Regina"_, Mary Margaret explained quickly.

David sighed heavily and sat down next to his grandson, _"So you know about them?"_

Henry nodded eagerly,_ "Of course I do. Mom and Emma…they are so great together. That's why I don't understand what happened."_

_"What do you mean?"_ Mary Margaret asked, obviously truly concerned now.

_"I don't know. Everything was fine. We had an awesome time together…that was Saturday morning. And then mom and I were at the stables…and Emma said she would come by in the evening, because she had things to do…we usually go to the stables together…the three of us. But then…yesterday night…mom was weird and Emma was crying…and Regina was crying and Emma left…I don't understand."_ Henry dropped his head, too sad to face his grandparents.

_"David?!"_ The sharp and demanding tone in Mary Margaret's voice was highly unusual and it caused both, Henry and her husband, to jump at the sound of it.

_"Henry, no matter what you think…your mo…Regina…she is a bad person. I know she's been nicer lately, but it's just a façade. Emma and I had a disagreement yesterday…but don't worry, kid. It seems she has done the right thing in the end."_ David stated quickly.

_"What's that supposed to mean?"_ Henry watched his grandfather in confusion and recognized the disbelieving glare Mary Margaret was giving his him.

_"Emma and Regina can't be together. They can't. Because Regina will always be The Evil Queen. She's playing everyone. All the time."_

At the words of his grandfather Henry really jumped up, shock and disappointment shining in his eyes, _"You did this. You ruined everything."_

Mary Margaret was not able to say a word, she simply could not believe what was happening. Had David really done that? Had he made Emma break up with Regina?

_"You don't understand this yet, Henry, I know that..but you will…one day."_ David tried to calm his upset grandson down.

_"No, you don't understand. You keep telling me that mom is The Evil Queen and I know that she was. But she isn't anymore. She's trying to change, she has changed in fact. But you refuse to give her a chance. A real chance. One were you don't pretend that you believe her…one where you actually do. She is in love with Emma and Emma is in love with her. You are ruining my family. You are hurting everyone…mom was happy and so was Emma. And you took that away from them…so, who is the evil one now?"_

Henry looked at David for a second, but then he headed for the door, because he did not want to stay at the apartment any longer.

_"Henry, wait…" _David was running after the boy, but Mary Margaret held him back_, "Let him go."_

_"Stay away from me. And stay away from my mom!"_

And then Henry was gone.

Mary Margaret stared her husband into the ground,_ "And now tell me exactly what happened yesterday."_

* * *

_"You did what?!"_ Mary Margaret had listened to David's explanation carefully, but she could not hold her anger back any longer,_ "You made Emma choose? Have you lost your mind?"_

_"She can't be with Regina and you know that. You know who she is"_, David tried to defend his actions.

_"Yes, I know. But you can't force Emma to leave her. Don't you remember how you have felt back then…when you were told that you can't be with me? You might not like it, but Emma is in love with Regina. I'm not happy about it either…but I won't lose my daughter over your stupidity"_, Mary Margaret stated firmly.

_"Wait. Are you saying I'm an idiot?"_

_"In fact…I am. You did the wrong thing yesterday. You were not a father, you acted like a man filled with hatred…and that doesn't make you one bit better than Regina."_ Mary Margaret turned round and headed for the door.

_"What are you doing?"_ David was completely confused.

_"I'm trying to make things right…because believe it or not…I know for a fact…that Regina Mills truly cares about our daughter. Which makes you an even bigger idiot."_

* * *

Mary Margaret had been to Emma's apartment since she had a spare key for her daughter's place and she had almost gotten a heart attack when she had seen the mess it was.

Emma must have had a major freak out last night.

But why? David had told her that she had told him off, that she had chosen Regina over him. This made no sense, especially since Henry had told them that her daughter had been crying like crazy.

She had been to the station as well, but nobody had been there and so Mary Margaret had stopped by at Granny's to talk to Ruby, but the deputy had not been able to help her either.

And so Mary Margaret had ended up in front of the Mayor's mansion. It was the only place left on her list, because Emma had been seen nowhere all day.

When Regina opened the door Mary Margaret gulped.

She had never seen the mayor so devastated, so exhausted.

_"What the hell do you want? Again."_ It was just a bark.

_"Can I talk to Emma for a second? Please?"_

_"Emma is not here."_ Regina dropped her head immediately, because she felt her eyes tearing up again.

_"Regina, please. I need to talk to her. It won't take long. I'm not here to tell her that you can't be together or anything"_, Mary Margaret stated pleadingly.

_"As I already said. Emma is not here. I sent her away last night and haven't seen her since."_

_"You did what? Why would you do that, Regina?"_

_"Because I've heard what your precious Charming said to her. I wanted to check on her, but David was still there. And he made her choose. How cruel is that? So, when she showed up on my porch last night, I told her to leave. Because no matter what you believe…I do care about Emma. And I don't want her to lose her family. So, you've got what you wanted. And now leave me the hell alone."_ Regina wanted to close the door shut, but Mary Margaret grabbed her arm and made her stop-

_"Regina, listen to me. Emma has chosen you. She told David off."_

The mayor stared at Mary Margaret in disbelief, but was not able to say a word.

_"And Emma must have been pretty upset, because her apartment looks like a bomb has exploded in there. It does not matter what I believe…or think…at least not right now. I'm worried, Regina. Nobody has seen Emma all day…and I need your help to find her."_

* * *

They had looked everywhere in Storybrooke, but Emma stayed missing.

Regina had no idea why, but at some point she had started to wonder if Emma would have gone to the stables. Sure, Emma did not like horses that much, but on the other hand there were so many good memories attached to them.

When they finally arrived they caught sight of the old, yellow bug immediately and Regina was so relieved.

She had tried to focus on finding Emma, so she had not thought about Mary Margaret's words yet, but now that they were close to finding the blonde, Regina realized that she had made a big mistake.

Emma had chosen her. Emma had really chosen her. And she had sent her away. Sure, she had meant well, but still.

Since Emma was nowhere to be seen, the mayor suggested to check Melech's paddock. Where else would the blonde go?

Regina was the first to catch sight of the Emma's body, which was lying in the grass, but when Mary Margaret saw it as well and wanted to run over, the mayor held her back, _"You need to stay outside. Melech doesn't like strangers and if he gets scared he could hurt Emma. I'll check on her."_

That said Regina stormed off, entering the paddock only a minute later.

She knelt down next to Emma's body, checking her vitals, sighing out of relief when she felt a pulse. And the blonde was breathing as well, but Emma's whole arms and hands were full of bruises.

Regina shook her gently and Emma's eyes snapped open the next second, _"Emma…"_

* * *

It had taken a while till Emma had been able to get up. She must have passed out sitting inside the paddock at some point.

But now that she was standing, facing Regina, the hurt in her eyes could not be ignored, but it were her words that made the brunette feel like somebody had ripped her heart out, _"I thought you were different. I thought that you care…I really believed that you are serious, Regina. Until last night. Now I know better…you sent me away like everybody else in my life. You sent me away when I would have needed you the most."_

That said Emma walked away, limping badly.

* * *

Mary Margaret stood there, her heart breaking for her daughter, but more than that her heart broke for her long time enemy.

Because even if nothing else had ever been true, Regina's tears were. The tears were real.

And more than that – they were the proof that Regina had changed.

* * *

Regina stood there, frozen, tears running down her face, but she did not care.

She did not even care that Mary Margaret could see her cry.

She had hurt Emma. She had hurt the one person, who had cared about her. The only person, who had believed in her, who had given her a chance. Who had fallen in love with her despite of all her flaws and bad attitudes.

And now she had to watch that person walk away from her, because she had made the wrong decision once again. Because obviously all she could do was hurt people. Especially the ones she cared about.

And that realization broke her heart.

She had tried her hardest to be better, to do the right thing, but she had screwed up once again.

But it would be the last time, definitely.

Her dark heart had failed her often enough, had clouded her judgement one too many times.

It was time to get rid of it, it was time to end this part of her life.

No heart, no pain.

No love.

No hope.


	35. Chapter 35

_A/N: Hello everyone!_

_Just a quick "Hi" from me. _

_I wanted to say THANKS for all the feedback, the reviews, the support and the love. I've experienced so much kindness since I started writing "The Beauty of the Beast."_

_About two months ago I started to do research, started to prepare for writing this little fairytale. I have written 35 Chapters – in 36 days._

_And I enjoyed every word I typed. Don't worry, I'm not telling you that I won't continue the story or that it will end today or anytime soon._

_All I'm saying is that I'm spending all my free time on creating this story. And I'm exhausted. I'm emotionally drained._

_That's why I'll take tomorrow off. Off from work and off from writing fanfiction. But it's just one day. I'll be back with an update on Friday._

_Just wanted to let you know…_

_Hope everybody is doing great – if someone ever feels like chatting – feel free to send me a message. _

_Much love to all of you, Raven_

* * *

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 35**

Emma was about to get into her bug, when Mary Margaret came running, screaming her daughter's name over and over again.

She just wanted to get away, she just wanted to be alone, but then again – she could yell at her mother first and so Emma turned round to face an obviously highly upset Mary Margaret.

_"Emma, I'm so sorry. I know you're angry, but I need to talk to you."_

_"No, thanks. I've heard enough for a while."_

Mary Margaret wanted to say so much, but she sensed that it would be pointless at the moment, so she decided for a different strategy, _"Could you please take me to town with you at least? I came with…you know…"_

_"Only if you stay quiet."_

* * *

Regina was stroking over Melech's head and the sensitive stallion bopped her shoulder with his nose once again.

It was his attempt to cheer her up, but this time it did not work.

Regina was too caught up in her pain, but it would end soon.

She just had to arrange a few things before she could go for the one option left.

* * *

Emma had not realized that Mary Margaret had followed her to her apartment, she simply had been too lost in thought.

But now that her mother was standing in her apartment, this worried expression on her face, Emma had to face her although it was the last thing she wanted to do.

_"I could help you clean up this mess"_, Mary Margaret suggested quickly.

_"Or you could say what you have to say and leave me the hell alone."_ Emma let herself fall onto the couch and groaned out of pain.

Mary Margaret stood there, debating what to do, but she had to talk some sense into her daughter and so she took a seat on the couch as well, careful to keep a safe distance between Emma and herself,_ "What David did was wrong."_

_"What Regina did was wrong too."_ Emma growled back.

_"It was. But she meant well."_ Mary Margaret was surprised that the words had come over her lips that easily.

_"She told me and I quote 'I can't do this. I can't let you love me.' What is good about that?!"_ Emma glared at her mother, anger and hurt written all over her face.

_"The reason why Regina did it. That's what counts."_ Mary Margaret took her daughter's hand in her own, _"I'm sorry that you are in so much pain right now, Emma. Especially since part of it is my fault. I should have been here yesterday. I should not have let David come over here by himself."_

_"It doesn't matter",_ Emma pulled her hand away.

_"It does matter. It matters to me…because you are my friend…and you are my daughter. And I don't want to see you suffer. And I don't agree with David…"_ Mary Margaret dropped her head, because she felt as if she would betray her husband.

Emma shot up and looked at her mother in disbelief, _"Wait…what? You don't?!"_

_"No. That's why I need to talk to you…I've spoken to Regina today before we went looking for you",_ Mary Margaret started her explanation and when the blonde did not interrupt her she continued,_ "She said that she had been at your apartment yesterday…to check on you. But David had been here…and she heard him yell…that he wanted you to choose…that's why she sent you away. I guess a part of her could not believe that you would choose her over your family and she wanted to spare herself the pain of getting rejected again…but she actually did it…because she did not want you to lose your family, because she has ruined enough in the past. She did this for you, Emma…because she truly cares about you."_

The blonde was so taken aback by her mother's comment that she had to blink twice to make sure she was not hallucinating, _"Is…is that…true?"_

_"It is…I'm going to be honest with you, Emma…I've known for a while that Regina had feelings for you, because I've seen it in her eyes…remember the evening when she left the diner all of a sudden…after you came back from the station…but I couldn't say a word, because I promised her…she was so scared that her feelings for you would ruin everything…but obviously they haven't",_ Mary Margaret smiled at her daughter, _"It's hard for me to accept that you are with her…of all people. For obvious reasons…but when I was at the mansion today to look for you…when she told me what happened yesterday…when I saw her cry when you left the paddock…I realized that Regina has really changed. That this is no game for her…that you really mean a lot to her…I felt her pain today. How heartbroken she is… …and again it's me…and David, who caused her pain. And I'm truly sorry for that."_

_"I need to go…I need to talk to her…I need to…"_ Emma was too overwhelmed, too confused to say a coherent sentence.

* * *

Mary Margaret and Emma stepped out on the street and ran straight into David, who was surprised to see them together, but then he caught sight of the blonde's bruised arms,_ "What did she do to you now?"_

Emma wanted to say something, but Mary Margaret was faster than her, _"Stop it, David. This has nothing to do with Regina. In fact…as hard as it is to believe…she's the good one this time."_

David laughed bitterly,_ "Right…and I'm the evil one now, or what?"_

_"That's exactly how it is."_ Emma glared at her father, making sure that he understood that she meant it.

_"Emma, don't. He's still your father. And despite of the fact that he acted wrong…he meant well. He just doesn't want you to get hurt."_

_"Yeah…but it was him, who actually hurt me."_ The blonde snapped.

_"I know…just go, get Regina. Fix what needs to be fixed, okay?"_ Mary Margaret gave her daughter a smile and Emma nodded in return before she stormed off.

David stood there, dumbstruck, _"Did you just say she should fix things with Regina?! Have you completely lost your mind?"_

_"Don't even start, David. She's our daughter and what you did was all kinds of wrong. I won't lose her over your ignorance. So, if you don't stay out of this you can sleep at the shelter!"_

* * *

Regina stopped the car in front of Granny's and Henry watched her in confusion, _"Why are we here?"_

_"Henry, I need you to stay with Miss Lucas for a couple of hours, okay? Afterwards you can call Emma to pick you up. You'll stay with her for a while."_ Regina stated quickly, trying not to start crying again.

_"What? Why? I want to stay with you."_ Henry replied pleadingly, not sure what to think of the whole situation.

_"I know, sweetheart, I know. But things are a little bit complicated at the moment and I have to get rid of something. And afterwards I won't be the same person anymore."_

_"Are you getting rid of your magic?"_ He asked excitedly, but when he saw Regina's face fall, Henry knew it had to be worse than that.

_"Not quite, Henry, but things will be easier once I'm done."_

* * *

Emma was frustrated, but more than that she was worried.

She had not found Regina although she had been everywhere. She had checked the Mayor's office, she had been back to the stables, she had been at the mansion, but nothing.

And then she had received this weird phone call from Henry, who had told her that he thought that Regina was about to do something stupid. That the mayor had brought him over to Granny's – so Ruby could watch him. He had told her that Regina had instructed him to call Emma in a couple of hours, that he would have to stay with her for a while. And that Regina wanted to get rid of something and that it was not her magic.

Emma had been confused by the information that Henry had given her. What had Regina meant when she had told him that she had to get rid of something? What was it? And where on earth could the brunette be?

Finding people was her thing, but this time Emma was helpless. She simply had no idea where to look for Regina.

She called all the places where she had been before to check if Regina had shown up – they could have missed each other after all, but the mayor had not been seen anywhere.

But when Emma returned to the mansion she caught sight of Regina's black Mercedes in the driveway and she got her hopes up immediately.

They only died a minute later when nobody opened the door and Emma looked through the study, the living room and the kitchen window, just to realize that Regina obviously was not there.

Emma rang again, knocked as hard as she could, but nothing.

If Regina would have been home she would have answered the door by now, simply to stop Emma from making that much noise, so the mayor clearly was not there.

But Regina must have been home at some point and Emma had missed her.

And the blonde cursed herself for it.

* * *

Regina was standing in front of her wall of hearts, staring at the open compartment, staring at the small wooden box, in which she would put her heart in a few seconds.

She closed her eyes to bathe in her good memories for a minute and the first thing that came to her mind was Emma.

Regina could see it all – their arguments, their fights, their time together with Henry. How Emma had smiled at her, their weekend together, how it had felt to kiss her, how happy Henry had been, how happy all of them had been.

And now it was all over.

She pulled her eyes open and shook her head to clear her mind. She could not stand this, she had to end it and so she took a last, deep breath.

The moment she felt her own hand grab her heart a wave of pain hit her, but Regina did not care and she pulled with all her strength, ripped out what should have been removed years ago.

When she finally held her heart in her right hand, felt the warmth of the organ on her palm, Regina realized that she felt nothing anymore. Everything was gone.

No more emotions, no more pain. The one thing left was emptiness.

She knew she should put the heart into its box, that she should hide it and leave, but she could not move.

Regina had not dared to look at her own heart, had not even dared to take the quickest of glimpses, because she was not able to face that much darkness, but the longer she stood in front of the wall, the longer she held her heart in her hand, the more tempting it became to squeeze it.

Just a little.

And that's exactly what she did. She squeezed her own heart, careful at first, but when the first wave of physical pain hit her, Regina squeezed even harder. She could as well punish herself for everything she had done, she did deserve it after all, didn't she?

She was aware of the fact that she had to stop, that she really needed to stop before she would crush her heart, before she would kill herself and yet she kept squeezing till she started to double over in pain.

All she had wanted was to get rid of her broken heart. She had wanted to get rid of the painful loss of Emma, but as soon as she had held her heart in hand she had realized that all she had managed to do was to erase her emotions.

But her memories were still there – the few good ones and the whole lot of bad ones, simply all of them. And they would haunt her forever.

And now that Regina had this tightening grip on her own heart, now that she really had control over her own life, she became aware of the fact that losing her emotions was not enough.


	36. Chapter 36

**The Beauty of the Beast  
Chapter 36**

Emma looked down at her hands and blinked twice.  
She had no idea what she just did or how, but she would worry about that later.  
Cleary she had done magic, because her palms were still tingling, but she was too worried about Regina to give a damn about that freaking hocus-pocus.

As soon as she saw the crypt in front of her, Emma knew that it had to be bad. Really bad.

She did not hesitate to storm inside, did not hesitate to head downstairs, but the moment she caught sight of Regina, she stopped dead in her tracks.

The mayor was standing there, obviously ready to crush her own heart and Emma knew that one wrong word, one rushed move could be fatal.

_"Regina…please stop."_ It was barely a whisper, but it was enough to get the brunette's attention.

_"You need to leave. Let me end this now and for all."_ Regina had not even dared to look into the blonde's direction, but at least she had stopped squeezing her heart for a second.

And that moment was enough for Emma to hurry over and grab the mayor's arm,_ "Please don't."_

_"Emma, go. Just go. I can't…I…"_ Regina's fingers started to tighten round the heart once again.

_"Think about Henry…he needs you!"_ Emma commented quickly, her voice pleading.

_"He will be better off without me."_ The mayor responded dryly.

Emma knew there was no point in trying to tell Regina how much their son loved her, because the brunette was in a very dark place right now, so she had to try something else. It was the one thing left on her mind, _"What about me? Because I'm not better off without you….I need you, Regina. "_

_"You don't."_

_"I do. I hate to admit it, because I'm stubborn as you know…and I love my independence and everything…but I need you. You are my happiness…if you're crushing your heart…you'll crush mine too."_ Emma moved her hand to Regina's chin and made the brunette look at her.

And to Regina's surprise there was nothing in the blonde's eyes, but honesty, which caused her to loosen the grip on her heart, _"Why? Why would you say that?"_

_"I can't explain it, I just know that we are somehow attached to one another…and I guess…I think I might be able to prove it."_ Emma knew her plan could backfire at her in the worst way possible, but she had to know for herself.

_"How?"_ Regina watched her closely, when Emma reached out her hand, _"Give me your heart?"_

_"I beg your pardon?"_ The mayor looked at her in utter confusion.

_"Regina, please. I won't hurt you, I promise. Give me your heart, please."_

Emma stood there, waiting while the former evil queen seemed to debate with herself, but then Regina placed her heart in Emma's hand, obviously waiting for something bad to happen, because as soon as the organ was placed on her palm the brunette ducked her head.

_"I'm not going to hurt you. You are safe with me, Regina. You have my word."_

That said the blonde took the mayor's hand with her free one and put it on her chest, _"I need you to trust me, Regina...because I need you to do something for me."_

It took the brunette a while to respond, but in the end she nodded, _"What do you want me to do?"_

_"I need you to take my heart out."_ Emma said it as if it would be no big deal, but she was aware of the fact that it was. In fact it was a huge deal, especially since Regina had no emotions left inside and could easily kill her, but the blonde was convinced that she was doing the right thing.

_"What?!"_ Regina glared at Emma in disbelief, in shock even.

_"You are the only one, who can do it. And I trust you not to harm me. I want you to take it out…I need you to do it."_ The blonde was surprised how serious and confident she sounded.

_"I can't do that, Emma. Chances are high that I would crush it before you could blink",_ the brunette reasoned, but the blonde shook her head, _"You won't, Regina. I trust you. I know that you won't do it. Please…"_

Regina did not understand. What was Emma trying to do? Or to proof for the matter?

This was a stupid idea, it was suicidal in fact.

But something in Emma's eyes told her that the blonde was sure that everything would go well.

How could Emma have so much faith in her? After all that had happened, after what she had witnessed only minutes ago? How could Emma still believe in her?

_"Take a deep breath…it could hurt a little"_, Regina stated and Emma closed her eyes, took a deep breath.

* * *

Hurting a little had been an understatement and Emma had needed all her willpower not to crush Regina's heart, which she was still holding in her hand, but the pain was gone before Emma could have blinked.

And then she felt nothing anymore.

Just plain darkness. And emptiness.

Was that how Regina had been feeling for a long time? Combined with the pain of loss and rejection?

* * *

Regina stood there, looking at the brightly shining heart with fascination.

It was a beautiful red heart with a dark spot inside, but to her it was flawless none-the-less.

Emma watched the brunette for a while, taking glimpses between her own heart and Regina's and with every look she became more aware of the fact that she was actually right.

_"So, what did you want to prove?"_ Regina asked all of a sudden.

_"This",_ Emma held out the mayor's heart, but Regina turned away, still not able to look at it.

_"Regina, I need you to see this. Henry was right after all…we're meant to be."_

It took Regina a while to move her head back, to actually face the darkness of her own heart, but once she caught sight of it her eyes widened in disbelief, _"That's impossible."_

There it was – right in front of her – the undeniable truth.

Emma held it in hand. The answer to pretty much everything.

Regina's heart was all shades of purple, completely dark in some corners, but there was this bright red spot in the middle. A spot, that had the same form and size as the dark spot within Emma's heart.

Their hearts practically were the exact opposites, they matched each other's perfectly.

How was that possible?

_"I don't understand. It makes no sense."_

_"Actually it does. But we can talk about this later…for now…we need to get our hearts back in…and get out of here",_ Emma suggested carefully and Regina nodded immediately.

* * *

The pain had not been as bad this time and it had taken only a second for Regina to replace Emma's heart back into the blonde's chest, but now she was standing there, looking at her own heart, which was still in Emma's hand and she hesitated again.

_"Regina, what's wrong?"_

_"I never meant to hurt you, but I did. And you have every right to never talk to me again…to turn your back on me…"_

_"I'm not even mad at you. Mary Margaret and I had a long talk today. She made me understand why you did it. She helped me deal with it and I'm glad that she did. I wouldn't have made it without her"_, Emma answered truthfully and the brunette glared at her in surprise,_ "Mary Margaret…as in Snow White…helped you understand…that I'm not the bad guy in this?"_

_"That she did. Shocking, isn't it? She even yelled at David and I heard something about him sleeping at the shelter if he wouldn't back off."_ Emma chuckled and moved forward, _"Let me do it. I think I can fix this…it's you and me after all."_

Regina locked eyes with Emma to let the blonde see that she was serious about it as she confirmed,_ "You and me."_

And then the brunette felt a hand on her chest, felt the warmth returning to her body, felt the beat of her heart again. And she also felt a connection to Emma, which had not been there before and she looked at the blonde to make sure that she was not hallucinating, but Emma just gave her a smile, _"Don't worry. I feel it too."_

* * *

Emma had wanted to bring Regina back to the mansion, but the mayor had not been very fond of the idea, because that house was "cold" after all.

The blonde had to smile at the comment, but she had brought the exhausted brunette to her apartment none-the-less. It had not hit her till she was about to unlock the door, that her place was a total mess, but what should she do now?

So, Emma closed her eyes and flung the door open, but once she blinked into the living room, she realized that her place was all cleaned up.

Mary Margaret.

Thank God for her mother. Right this moment Emma was beyond thankful for her thoughtful and caring friend and mother, because seeing the apartment in its smashed "glory" would have caused Regina a heart attack. At least it would have made her feel guilty and that was the last thing they needed tonight.

Emma made Regina sit on the couch and headed over to the fridge to pour them something to drink, when she caught sight of the note, which was pinned to her message board.

_'I made David clean up. Hope you don't mind. Maybe we can meet up tomorrow afternoon? For a coffee at Granny's maybe? Have a nice evening. Hope things with Regina went well. MM'_

The little note put a big smile on Emma's face and she pulled her phone out of her pocket to send a message to Mary Margaret – to let her know that everything was okay and to confirm their coffee appointment for the upcoming day.

* * *

Emma and Regina had been sitting on the couch for a while – in silence.

Both of them lost in thought, both of them trying to process what had happened earlier. It seemed to be a lot harder for Regina though, because to Emma it was quite obvious by now that the brunette was her destiny.

And the more she thought about it, the more sense it made to her. Henry had been right all the time – they were meant to be together.

How had she missed out on all the signs? It was as clear as day to Emma now though.

They had fought with so much passion, had tried their hardest to get rid of one another, it was ridiculous.

It was like one of those fairytales. Hell, they all were part of a fairytale after all.

They could easily be part of 'The Beauty and the Beast' although she was not much of a beauty and Regina clearly was not a beast.

Well, maybe she had been one in the past, but the brunette had changed and Emma had brought the beauty of that woman back to the surface.

_"What are you thinking about, dear?"_

Regina's voice had Emma out of her thoughts immediately, _"Uhm…I was just thinking that…you are a very beautiful woman."_

The brunette chuckled at the comment, _"Is that so? Because I feel like I've been run over by a truck."_

_"You just need some sleep…that's all."_ Emma smiled and reached out to move a strand of hair out of the mayor's face and Regina nodded, _"I better get going and pick up Henry…"_

Right that moment Emma grabbed her arm gently and made her stop, _"I talked to Ruby before I found you and she said he can stay with her for the night. She doesn't mind. So, why don't you just stay here and get some rest. You look like you could need some sleep. I sure do."_

* * *

Regina was already sitting on the bed, when Emma returned from the bathroom, wearing her usual sleeping clothes – panties and a tank top.

Unfortunately that gave away even more of the blonde's bruises and the brunette glared at Emma in shock, _"I'm sorry. I should have known that…"_

But before Regina could continue, Emma was already sitting next to her, silencing the brunette by pressing her index finger against the mayor's lips,_ "Don't. It's not your fault. It was mine. I knew I was getting too worked up for my own good, but I did nothing to stop it."_

That said Emma slid under the covers and Regina followed suit, just to get pulled into the blonde's arms only a second later.

She did not even try to get away from Emma, because she needed the contact more than ever, needed to hear the blonde's heart beat in her chest.

Emma knew that they had a lot to talk about, but it could wait till tomorrow. Regina simply was nowhere near ready to face what the revelations of the day truly meant.

They would have to face it though and they would do it in time.

They would do it together. Step by step.


	37. Chapter 37

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 37**

The first thing Emma realized when she stirred the next morning was the fact that Regina was not lying beside her anymore and that had her wide awake within a heartbeat.

She jumped up immediately, just to groan out of pain the next second, because her bruised body was still too tense for moving that fast, but Emma recovered quickly and headed for the bathroom, which was empty.

And so was the rest of the apartment.

Regina was gone.

But why? They had been okay when they had went to bed. Or not?

Emma had been aware that the brunette had been pretty overwhelmed after the incident in the crypt, but had it been really that bad? Obviously she had missed out on something, but why hadn't Regina talked to her?

_'Because talking about problems isn't one of Regina's strong skills'_ Emma stated the obvious and returned to her bedroom to get dressed, because she was positive that she knew where the mayor was hiding.

* * *

Regina knew that she should not have left the apartment without talking to Emma, but the truth was that she did not know what to say.

She could not explain how she felt, could not wrap her head round the revelations of last night.

It did not make any sense to her.

Well, that was not entirely true, because she knew exactly what it meant, but she was not ready to face any of it.

Once she would admit it, once she would accept the truth for what it was, it would turn her world upside down, would crush everything she had believed in, would make everything she had held onto in all these years more or less pointless.

How was she supposed to explain that to Emma? Was it even possible to explain this whole mess?

She would go for a ride now, would try to sort out her thoughts and afterwards she would try to talk to Emma. Maybe.

If she would find the courage to do so.

* * *

When Emma arrived at the stables Regina was nowhere to be seen and Melech was gone too. Of course the mayor had went for a ride, but Emma knew that Regina had taken the best option for once, because the brunette had this self-destructive streak when she could not handle her feelings, so going for a ride clearly had been a good choice.

She sat down in the paddock, aware that Regina had to come back at some point. And till then she would use the time to figure out a few things for herself.

* * *

Melech snorted excitedly as soon as they returned to the stables and once Regina caught sight of Emma's yellow bug she had to smile.

Of course Emma had come to check on her.

How had she gotten that lucky all of a sudden to have someone as caring as Emma Swan in her life?

By the time Regina and her stallion reached the paddock, the horse was tripping in a way the brunette had never seen before and as soon as she opened the paddock door Melech ran off, obviously to say 'Hi' to Emma.

Unfortunately the blonde was so lost in thought that the sudden appearance of the stallion made her jump and Regina could not stop herself from laughing out loud.

The scared expression on Emma's face simply was hilarious and even the horse seemed to be amused, because Melech never stepped back, but bopped the blonde's shoulder with his nose over and over till Emma finally started to stroke his head.

_"That horse of yours will be the death of me one of these days…I swear."_

_"Don't blame it on me, dear. He likes you…and besides that…who bought him?"_ Regina countered playfully.

_"True…anyway…I just came here to check on you…are you okay?"_ Emma could not stop herself from asking, she was too worried.

_"I guess I am. But we really need to talk."_

* * *

They had driven to the mansion once Melech had been taken care of and now that they were sitting in Regina's study, each of them a glass of the mayor's famous apple cider in hand, Emma became slightly nervous.

Drinking before lunch screamed for big troubles.

Regina must have sensed her worries, because she sat down right next to Emma, taking the blonde's hand in hers, _"This is not going to be easy, but I want you to know that it has nothing to do with you…so please don't take it personal…can you…can you promise me that?"_

Emma saw the fear in the brunette's eyes and nodded, _"I'll try my best. I'll hear you out…and try to stay objective."_

The mayor took a deep breath, but then she started her attempt to make Emma understand what was going on inside her head, to explain the battle she was fighting against herself, _"I told you before that I've never been attracted to women and it's still weird at times, but I'm feeling a lot better about it now, because you make me feel so comfortable with everything. And I love to have you around, to kiss you and everything. But as it seems this was the easy thing about our relationship."_

Emma squeezed the brunette's hand reassuringly, because she knew that this whole talking thing was not something Regina was used to and she really appreciated the fact that the mayor had decided to be honest and try.

_"You know, Emma…all my life I've believed that Daniel was my True Love, that he was the one. That I lost my chance of a happy ending…together with him. That's what I believed in, what I held on to. All the anger, the hate, the hunger for revenge…all of it was born out of this loss…"_, Regina dropped her head, but continued to speak, _"And now…well…yesterday put everything in question. Seeing your heart…seeing our hearts…I guess it really means that we're meant to be…that we could find True Love with each other…and it scares the hell out of me. It makes me feel like a fool. I couldn't let go of my love for Daniel for so long…because I thought I knew that he was my True Love…I've been miserable for years, I've made the lives of so many people a living hell…and for what? For an illusion…I don't know how to…to handle all of this…even though it makes perfect sense…the more I think about it, but still…it's too hard…it's so confusing and I don't know what to do."_

Emma did not know what to respond to that, because she understood what Regina meant, but she could not even imagine how weird the brunette must feel and so she simply put her glass aside, together with the mayor's and pulled Regina into her arms, holding her close, trying to give the shaking form next to her some comfort.

Regina buried her head in the crook of Emma's neck and started to sob hard, _"My whole life is a lie…I feel like somebody has pulled the rug out from under my feet."_

* * *

They had sat in the study for a long time and Regina had shed a lot of tears, but Emma simply had let her cry, because the brunette obviously had needed it.

She had held Regina the whole time, had never let go of her, because Emma was aware how fragile Regina truly was.

Now that the mayor had managed to put herself back together, she seemed to be highly embarrassed that she had fallen apart like that in front of Emma and she wanted to get up, wanted to get away, but the blonde held her back,_ "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Regina. This whole situation is confusing for me too, but it has to be three times worse for you. At least…but know that if Daniel wasn't your true love…which would be good for me by the way…you still truly loved him. And that's all that matters. You loved him. And he loved you too."_

Emma knew that her comment had sounded awkward, but somehow it had put a smile on Regina's face none-the-less.

It would take a lot of time for them to work through all of this, but the blonde had no doubt that they would make it and the mayor's comment proved it.

_"Thank you for being so understanding, Emma. I don't know what I would do without you"_, Regina stated honestly and sealed it with a kiss.

* * *

Mary Margaret had called Emma in the afternoon to let her know that she had picked Henry up at Ruby's in the morning, so he had been able to go to school and that they could meet up at the diner to have dinner together.

Emma was glad that her mother had thought about taking Henry to school with her, but she did not know what to do about the dinner invitation.

Sure, she had agreed on having coffee with Mary Margaret the night before, but she did not want to leave Regina alone in her current state.

Should she risk taking her with her? Would that be a smart idea?

_"What's wrong, dear?"_

_"Nothing. Mary Margaret just called and told me that she has taken Henry to school in the morning."_ Emma answered truthfully, because she knew lying would get her nowhere. Especially not with Regina.

_"Oh."_ The brunette seemed to be speechless for a moment, but recovered quickly,_ "Well, I think that was nice of your mother."_

_"I think so too. She…uhm…wants to…to have dinner at Granny's and I just wondered…if you maybe…would want to join us…only if you are up for it of course."_ Emma watched Regina closely to sense what kind of an answer she could expect, but the mayor took her by surprise, _"Okay."_

_"Okay? Like okay okay? Like you are coming with me?"_ The blonde stared at Regina in disbelief, considering how high the chances were that she was dreaming.

Regina had to laugh at the confused expression on Emma's face, _"Yes. I'm coming with you. I think I can manage to have dinner without ripping your mother's head off."_

* * *

On the way over to the diner Emma prayed that she would not have made a mistake by suggesting to have dinner together, but it was too late anyway.

The way Regina walked made it obvious that the brunette was tense, but she was willing to try after all and Emma gave her credit for that.

As soon as they entered the diner Henry jumped up from the booth and stormed over to hug his mothers tight, "_I missed you, both of you. Are you okay?"_

_"Everything is fine, sweetheart. I hope you had a great time with Miss Lucas?"_ Regina bent down to kiss her son on the forehead.

_"We had so much fun. And Ashley stopped by with the baby, because she was bored at home since Sean is helping Belle with Gold's funeral or something"_, Henry shrugged, but smiled.

Emma took a look at Ruby, who was standing behind the counter, fixing drinks, but the blonde could sense how sad her friend was.

She decided that she really should make time to spend it with Ruby, because the leggy brunette looked like she could need somebody to talk to.

But first she had to survive dinner.

* * *

Regina had been amused by Mary Margaret's shocked face when she had caught sight of her, but she had sworn herself that she would try to be civilized.

She would try for Emma's sake, because she was aware of the fact that it was important to the blonde to be okay with her parents.

And Mary Margaret had helped her after all although they still hated each other.

She had kept her promise this time, had not revealed Regina's secret, but she had talked sense into Emma when she easily could have torn them apart forever.

And somehow Regina respected that, because she knew exactly how hard it was to say a good word about the other. But Mary Margaret seemed to give her chance and although Regina did not understand why, she had decided to try.

To try and be "nice."

For Emma. And Henry.

* * *

Dinner had been a bit awkward, but it had went way better than Emma had expected.

Regina and Mary Margaret had not really talked to each other, but they had not fought either. Henry had saved them all with his comments about God and the world and Emma had been so proud and thankful for her smart son.

And she had appreciated Regina's willingness to try to get along with Mary Margaret, because it was obvious how hard it was for the mayor, but Regina had bitten back almost all her sarcastic comments and Emma felt like she had won the biggest of battles.

It only was a small step, but a step forward none-the-less.

A step into their direction.

When Ruby had come to clean their table Emma had taken the opportunity to make plans with the waitress for the upcoming night, but according to the expression on Regina's face the mayor was not very fond of the idea and Emma had to chuckle.

The brunette looked so adorable when she was jealous although the blonde knew that Regina would never admit it.

* * *

Emma had announced that she would walk Regina and Henry home and Mary Margaret had not been surprised. Not at all.

Even when Regina had not really talked to her, she was not blind.

She had noticed all the cute, little looks her daughter and the mayor had shared and now that she stood there, watching them go, Mary Margaret had to smile.

Henry was walking in the middle, holding the hands of both his mothers and as bizarre as it was, Mary Margaret had to admit that the tree of them had truly become a family.


	38. Chapter 38

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 38**

The next three weeks had been more or less uneventful.

Regina still had her moments of weakness, but Emma had become better in calming the brunette down, in taking away the mayor's fears.

They had found a way back to their routine and had spent a lot of time together with Henry, had spent a lot of time as a real family.

The only thing that was weighing heavily on their shoulders was the fact that Gold's dagger was still missing. A lot of harm could be done if it would find its way into the wrong hands and everybody in Storybrooke knew that.

Emma was aware that they had to find that dagger, the sooner the better, but for now she had to solve another problem – Christmas.

Regina had told her that she could celebrate at the Charmings, together with Henry, because the brunette did not care about that time of the year and that had left Emma wondering why the mayor seemed to be so uncomfortable with the whole Christmas thing.

But all Regina had said had been that she had only celebrated for Henry's sake in the past, which had gotten the Sheriff only more suspicious.

Emma was sure that it must have to do something with Regina's mother, but she had not dared to ask, because the mayor was struggling with enough without bringing that topic back up.

And so Henry and her had left the mansion in the afternoon of the 23rd of December, both of them worried about Regina, but the brunette had told them that everything was fine.

Of course Emma had known right away that it was a lie, because Regina's eyes had given her away, but the blonde had not wanted to scare Henry.

Now that they were sitting in Emma's apartment, the blonde started to wonder if it had been a mistake to leave Regina on her own though and Henry obviously thought about the same,_ "It's not too late to go back to the mansion, Emma."_

_"I know, kid. But Regina wanted it that way"_, Emma commented, aware that it was a lame excuse.

_"Yeah, and you know that it's mom we're talking about"_, the boy countered quickly, _"She has never been big on Christmas, but nobody should be alone during the holidays."_

_"Henry, I know you are right, but we both also know that there is no point in pushing your mom if she is not ready."_

The boy nodded, _"We could give her tonight and could go back to the mansion early in the morning. And we need to buy a tree."_

_"I've thought about that too. Maybe we can do that."_ Emma gave her son a small smile, not sure if it was a smart plan. What if it would upset Regina once again?

_"Emma, we have to. We are a family now. Mom can't be alone on Christmas. She can't."_

When the blonde locked eyes with her son, she realized that Henry was right. There was no other option than going back, because they were a family after all and so Emma nodded in agreement, _"Well, I'd say we go to bed early tonight then. What do you think?"_

* * *

Regina was sitting in her study, drinking cider as if it would be water.

Oh, how much she hated Christmas.

Everyone seemed to be so full of joy and happiness during the holidays. Everyone was big on love and family.

But she had never been able to relate to that.

She had heard about Christmas and its traditions for the first time back then in the Enchanted Forest and Regina could remember how excited she had been.

That was until she had asked her mother if they could celebrate Christmas too, but Cora had slapped her right in the face, "Now why would we celebrate love? It's the greatest weakness of all!"

Regina had never forgotten about that day and once she had been in Storybrooke she had seen Christmas in its full glory for the first time, knowing full-well that she would never have that.

Sure, she had celebrated for Henry later, but it always had been the biggest torture for her.

And now that she finally had a family she had sent them away. How ironic was that?

Regina had regretted it the minute Emma and Henry had left the mansion, but she was too proud and too stubborn to call the blonde and ask her to come back.

So, she would spend the holidays by herself after all.

* * *

Emma and Henry had managed to carry the tree into the living room without making much noise and once they had placed it in its spot, Henry had stormed off to the kitchen to make breakfast.

When Emma smelled coffee she headed for the kitchen too, because she sure needed one – it was way too early for her taste. And she was freezing like hell, because it had started to snow heavily during the night.

Henry had already poured her a cup and Emma felt proud once again. Her son simply was the greatest kid and she knew that he would have never become who he was today if it had not been for Regina.

_"Go, wake mom. We have a lot to do today",_ he handed her another mug.

_"Yes, sir."_

Emma grabbed it and headed upstairs, her heart pounding, because somehow she was afraid of the mayor's reaction.

* * *

She had managed to put the cup onto the nightstand without dropping something, which had been quite difficult since it was still dark outside and that meant that it was dark in Regina's bedroom as well.

But Emma knew it was just a matter of time till the brunette would wake up, the smell of coffee would have Regina out of her dreams within a heartbeat.

And Emma should be right about that, because the light on the nightstand got switched on only a minute later and a completely startled Regina Mills looked at her in disbelief.

To Emma's big surprise the mayor was wearing a tank top instead of her silk pajamas. Regina really was in the possession of a tank top? Well, probably it was one of the blonde's.

_"Emma, what are you doing here? It's…"_ the mayor took a look at the alarm clock on the nightstand,_ "It's not even seven…"_

The blonde stood up to turn on the big lights and stopped dead in her tracks once she caught sight of Regina, because she realized right then that she had never seen the brunette like this before.

Without make-up.

Somehow Regina had always managed to look perfectly styled, even in the mornings and Emma had suspected that the brunette had used magic for that, but today was different.

Clearly because Regina had not expected someone to see her.

But Emma was sure that Regina had never looked more beautiful than in this particular moment.

* * *

Regina sat in her bed, wondering why Emma was watching her that closely until it hit her.

She must look pretty horrible without her make-up. And she was wearing one of Emma's tank tops too. Wearing it had helped her to fall asleep last night, had made her feel less alone, but the blonde was not supposed to see her like that.

She jumped up quickly, realizing that the fact, that she was wearing sweatpants as well, was not helping at all. She needed to go to the bathroom, needed to change clothes, needed to…but that was when Emma took her hand and made her sit down again, _"Just in case you are worrying…you look beautiful."_

Regina had wanted to argue, but there was something in Emma's eyes that made her see that the blonde was deadly serious.

And all Regina could do was to pull Emma into a hug, happy that Henry and the blonde had not listened to her and had returned to the mansion. And to her.

* * *

They had enjoyed a very nice breakfast with Henry's delicious sandwiches and Regina had thought that she would burst out of happiness any second.

This was what Christmas was about after all, wasn't it? To be with your beloved ones and have a great time together.

Emma had called Mary Margaret to let her mother know that Henry and her would not make it over for dinner, because they wanted to stay with Regina and the brunette had been truly overwhelmed that Emma had chosen her over her family once again.

Afterwards they had driven to the stables and Regina had almost gotten a heart attack when Melech had not been in his paddock, but Emma simply had led her into the stables, where the stallion was standing in his own box now.

_"He deserves a Christmas gift too, doesn't he?"_ Emma had said and Henry had agreed immediately.

And Regina had realized once more how lucky she was to have the blonde in her life.

* * *

Henry had talked them into stopping by at Granny's after their visit at the stables and Ruby had told them that she would spend Christmas with Ashley and baby Alexandra, because the young mother and her fiancé had gotten into a huge fight a few days ago. Sean seemed to be spending a lot of time with Belle, because she was having a hard time dealing with the loss of Mister Gold, but at some point Ashley had enough.

She understood that Belle was in pain, but what she did not understand was that the father of her child cared more for Belle than for his own family.

Emma had been happy, because Ruby had seemed to be overjoyed, but she was worried at the same time, because Ashley and Sean would make up eventually and then her friend would be suffering even more.

But that was a conversation, which could wait till after Christmas.

* * *

By the time they made it back to the mansion it was already afternoon and they had yet to decorate the living room including the tree, but then it hit Regina that she needed to cook Christmas dinner. The only problem was that she had not bought anything, because she not planned on having company.

_"We'll eat pasta then. Or whatever you have in your freezer. It doesn't matter…as long as we are together"_, Emma announced quickly, sounding absolutely serious.

_"Emma is right, mom. It doesn't matter. And I love pasta. But now we really have to decorate the tree",_ Henry commented and gave Regina a bright smile and so the mayor gave in and not only an hour later the living room looked like Winter Wonderland.

And then there was this unexpected knock on the door.

* * *

The moment Regina opened the door she was sure that she had to be hallucinating.

On her porch stood Mary Margaret and David, who was holding a huge plate in hands and the teacher held two bags as well.

_"We really don't want to disturb, but we have way too much food…and we thought we could have dinner together, because it's Christmas after all. Right, David?"_

_"Right"_, he growled through gritted teeth and Regina couldn't stop herself from chuckling, because David obviously was not very fond of the idea. Well, neither was she, but she stepped aside anyway to let the Charmings in.

Now that would be interesting.

_"Grandpa…Grandma!"_ Henry came running as soon as he heard Mary Margaret's voice and Emma appeared only a second later, _"What's going on?"_

_"Your mother thought we should have dinner together. Obviously she has cooked a little bit too much"_, Regina stated simply and Emma stood there, dumbfounded.

_"This is so cool! Our first Christmas as a real family!"_ Henry beamed with joy and Mary Margaret smiled at him, happy that at least someone appreciated her idea.

* * *

Regina and Mary Margaret were in the kitchen, together with Henry and Emma and David were setting the dining table, _"So, how did she get you to come over here, David?"_

_"Well, let's say if I wouldn't have joined Mary Margaret…I would be starving right now and my only company would be dogs and cats."_

Emma could not stop herself from laughing out loud, but then she got all serious again, _"I'm glad you're here though. And Henry is over the moon as well. It means a lot to him…to all of us. Thank you."_

David looked at his daughter and nodded,_ "I guess I can handle this…for a day. It's Christmas after all."_

* * *

Dinner had went surprisingly well and even David and Regina had found a way to get along without killing each other, much to Emma's and Mary Margaret's relief.

And so they had managed to spend an evening as a family although the situation had been beyond bizarre.

Henry had not even wanted to go to bed, because he had been so utterly happy and so he had fallen asleep on the living room floor at some point.

Regina had offered that David and Mary Margaret could bring him upstairs and tuck him in, much to the Charmings surprise, but they had taken the chance eventually and Emma had been so proud of the brunette that she had started to kiss Regina the second her parents had disappeared in Henry's room.

* * *

Once the Charmings had left Emma and Regina had cleaned the table and had put some gifts under the tree, because they would not have time to do it in the morning. Henry clearly would wake up before them, because kids simply were more excited about unwrapping presents than grown ups.

Now that they were lying in Regina's bed, the brunette resting in Emma's arms, reflecting on the events of the days, Regina could not hold the tears back any longer.

Emma stroked over the mayor's head carefully, _"It's okay. Whatever it is that is bothering you…you can talk to me…"_

Regina moved her head up a little to lock eyes with the blonde,_ "These are happy tears for once…because I realized that I have a family after all…a damaged one and that's partially my fault…but I do have a family. And it's hard to believe that."_

_"David won't hate you forever. He just needs time to adjust. Maybe Mary Margaret should let him sleep at the shelter for real one day",_ Emma answered and smiled at Regina.

The thought made the brunette curl her lips into a smile as well, _"Only if I'm there to witness it."_

It did not take long after that and both women were sound asleep, both thankful for their little Christmas wonder, because now the holidays truly were about love and being a family.


	39. Chapter 39

_A/N: Hello everybody!_

_I'm here today with the most important Chapter of "The Beauty of the Beast". It might not be special to you, but it is to me._

_Simply because the last scene of today's chapter was the first thing I had on my mind. It has driven me to create this little fairytale from the very beginning. _

_It took me 39 Chapters to actually get here and I'm so happy today, I could burst._

_I'm not the person to bribe anyone to write a review or anything, but if anyone wants to do me a favor, then please write me a review today. Because my whole heart is in that story and especially in that last one scene. _

_I love you all for your ongoing support, your kindess and all the love I've received till. I'm overwhelmed, I'm flattered and I'm deeply honored._

_Thank you all so much…you have no idea what you all mean to me._

_Much love, Raven_

* * *

_Ps.: For everyone, who wants to know…and because sources should be shared, creativity should be given credit –_

_The __**song**__ I used in this chapter is called__** "Waterfall"**__ and it was this year's Eurovision Songcontest contribution from Georgia, __**performed by**__ the lovely __**Nodi Tatishvili**__ and the amazing __**Sophie Gelovani**__._

* * *

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 39**

Regina and Emma woke up to the sound of someone rushing down the stairs.

Henry had to be up and really excited.

Switching on the lamp on the nightstand made Regina actually see Emma, who seemed to be a little confused and definitely too sleepy to just get up.

And so the brunette pulled the blonde close and started to kiss her fiercely, which did the trick eventually and left Emma breathless once Regina pulled back, _"Well, Merry Christmas to you too, Madame Mayor."_

* * *

Regina had wanted to change clothes, but Emma had insisted that it was a tradition to unwrap presents on Christmas morning in ones pajamas and although the brunette was sure she had never heard about it before, she had given in - simply because Emma had looked so adorable.

When they entered the living room Henry was already sitting under the tree, giving his mothers his best smile to show that he was beyond ready to open his gifts.

Regina and Emma gave their son an approving nod and so he ripped open what was supposed to be his and the blonde was glad that the mayor had insisted on putting name tags on Henry's presents, because otherwise he might have opened Mary Margaret's and David's presents instead.

It did not take long and Henry had unwrapped all his gifts, which were basically things he needed for his riding lessons like new boots and a helmet, a book about horses and there was this poster of a beautiful white pony, which he seemed to stare at forever.

_"Maybe it's time to tell our son what his real present is, dear"_, Regina announced all of a sudden and Henry jumped at the comment, glaring at his mother in disbelief, _"There's more?"_

_"Yeah, kid…there is one more. But I think it's better if Regina tells you that"_, Emma squeezed her son's shoulder gently and Henry's eyes wandered back to the brunette,_ "What is it?"_

Hearing the excitement in her son's voice made Regina smile brightly and she knelt down to lock eyes with Henry, _"That pony on your poster…it's yours. It's already waiting for you at the stables."_

The boy was rendered speechless, but he pulled Regina into a fierce hug, making it hard for his mother to breathe,_ "I'll go, change clothes…we can leave in five minutes."_

And with that he stormed out of the living room, yelling _"Emma, can you give mom our present while I'm dressing?"_ from somewhere upstairs, which made the blonde laugh out loud, _"Someone seems to be really happy about his pony."_

That said she bent down to grab a present with Regina's name on it and handed it to the mayor, who looked a little surprised, _"You got me a gift?"_

Emma nodded and kissed her quickly,_ "I'll head into the kitchen and make coffee. It will give you some time to open it. It's nothing big, nothing special, but Henry and I did it together. Hope you'll like it."_

* * *

Regina stood there with shaking hands, two wooden frames in hand. Emma and Henry obviously had made the frames by hand, because she had never seen anything like it before. And these two frames held one picture of Emma and Henry and the other one was a picture her son must have taken at the harbor some weeks ago. It was a picture of Regina and Emma, who were facing each other, eyes locked and both smiling decently.

They looked so devoted to each other and Regina could remember the exact moment clearly - it was one of her favorite memories with Emma, because it had been such a beautiful day and that moment, the moment Henry had managed to capture in this photo, simply had taken her breath away.

A single tear made its way down the brunette's cheek when Emma came back with two mugs of coffee.

Regina placed both frames carefully on the table, made the blonde put down the mugs as well and then the mayor hugged Emma as tight as she could manage without hurting the woman she was so deeply in love with, "Thank you. So much."

Emma wiped the single tear away and was about to hand the mayor a mug, but Regina grabbed the blonde's arm, stopped her attempt and made it over to the tree once again, to pull out another gift from behind, _"This is for you. It's not really a present, but I wanted you to have it, Emma."_

The blonde had managed to unwrap it quickly and stared at the leather bound book in disbelief only a few seconds later. She knew exactly what it was and Emma was so overwhelmed that she did not know what to say.

_"As I said it's not really a present in the usual way. But I want you to have my diary, because I trust you, Emma Swan. I trust you with my life. You have seen me at my best and my worst and that's why I want you to have it. Because my secrets are safe with you, because I'm safe with you."_

* * *

The holidays had been so unbelievably great.

Henry had been attached to his pony Maël from the moment they had arrived at the stables and the white gelding had been nothing, but cute since then. Their son would have slept at the stables if his mothers would have allowed it, but it was too cold for that these days.

And yet Emma knew that she would spend a lot more time with horses in the future and she really started to consider taking riding lessons, because she would rather join Regina and Henry on their rides than to be left behind.

But she was glad that the mayor and their son had found something, that had brought them closer together, even if it was the love for the king and the little prince, because Maël happened to be celtic and its meaning was prince.

What a coincident.

When Emma had stopped by at the Mayor's office after the holidays she had recognized that Regina had brought the two framed photos to her office, where they were sitting on the brunette's desk now and the blonde had felt so very "normal" all of a sudden.

Regina Mills had photos of her family on her desk, like everyone else.

And it was the most exciting feeling, because they were a family. Like every other family too. A family with two loving parents, who were madly in love with each other as well.

Could a child ask for more?

* * *

New Year's eve had come a lot faster than expected and now that Emma was standing in the massively decorated City hall, she felt a bit sad.

Everything was glittering and there were people everywhere, but Regina was nowhere to be seen.

The last few weeks had been challenging for both of them, but they had gotten through everything – together.

And yet Emma was here by herself now.

She had almost forgotten about the ball if Ruby would not have reminded her about it yesterday and unfortunately it was her duty as the Sheriff of Storybrooke to attend a social event like this.

* * *

Emma was about to get herself some punch, but right then she bumped into Ashley and her leggy friend Ruby Lucas and both women eyed her intensely.

_"Now look at you…you look hot!"_ Ruby stated with a smirk and the comment brought a small smile to the Sheriff's face.

Emma had chosen a black suit, in combination with a white blouse and a black tie and she had to admit that she was really satisfied with the outfit she had gone for in the end,_ "Thanks. I just thought it was the perfect occasion for dressing up a little…and leaving my leather jackets at home."_

When Ashley left to say 'Hi' to some friends, Ruby pulled Emma into a somewhat quiet corner, _"What's up, Em? Where's Regina?"_

"She's at home. She'll come by later." The blonde could not hide her disappointment and if she was honest she did not even want to.

"Did you have a fight?"

"No, Ruby. Everything's fine. It's just… Regina doesn't want people to know that we are a couple", Emma commented the obvious.

_"Why? Oh, wait..I get it. Because she is the mayor…"_ Ruby answered quickly, but the blonde shook her head, _"No. Actually it's because I'm the Sheriff. And Regina thinks people won't respect me anymore…or listen to me…once the find out that I'm in love with the "enemy". I guess she's also afraid that people will be disgusted or something…and that someone could talk me out of loving her by talking shit about her…"_

_"As if that would happen"_, Ruby groaned in frustration,_ "But I guess I can understand her. At least a little."_

_"That's the point. I understand it too. I get that she is scared…especially since she has lost everyone, who had been important to her…in the past…nobody had ever stood up for her…but I would…if only Regina would give me a chance."_

_"One day she will."_ Ruby squeezed Emma's hand reassuringly and neither of them noticed Regina Mills, who entered the room right then, glaring daggers at the leggy brunette next to Emma Swan.

* * *

The evening was becoming more and more of a torture.

Emma had watched some drunken jerk hitting on Regina and there had been nothing she could have done. It was not that the brunette had done anything inappropriate, but seeing Regina laughing at someone's jokes, even if the mayor's laugh had been a fake, had been so hard.

But Emma knew that Regina would never forgive her if she would cause a scene in front of the town citizens.

And so she had allowed Ruby to drag her to the dance floor in the end, because Emma had needed some distraction. Badly.

* * *

Regina was standing there, watching Emma and Ruby Lucas like a hawk, knowing full-well that she could easily end this charade, but she did not dare to.

Causing a scene was the last thing that would be appropriate for a mayor.

But that she was. The mayor of Storybrooke.

And she needed to protect Emma as long as she could. Sure, one day they would have to make their relationship official, but as long as she could keep it a secret, she would. Because once their secret would be revealed the hell would break lose. And the citizens of Storybrooke would possible turn their lives into a nightmare and she would be the one to blame, because she had been The Evil Queen.

People were not ready to forgive her yet and Regina knew that she would need to prove herself and then maybe, one day, she would get a chance. Even if she did not deserve it.

But it did not take away the pain of seeing Emma dance with someone else.

She knew that the blonde had no interest in Ruby Lucas at all, but still. Regina could not deny that she was jealous as hell.

When Emma had caught sight of her she had seen the love in the blonde's eyes, a love Emma held for nobody else, but her and Regina had wanted to walk over and hug the blonde tight, without ever letting go again.

If only things would be that easy.

Regina had chosen the black tube dress and the black heels, because she knew how much Emma loved that outfit, she had dressed up for nobody, but the Sheriff, but it seemed not nearly enough.

It would never be enough.

Till the day they would be free, till the day they would be able to share their happiness with the world.

* * *

Emma was standing only a few meters away from Regina, who was sitting at the bar, drinking red wine and the blonde debated what to do, because she could not stay away any longer.

She simply could not.

She felt so drawn to Regina, more than ever before and being separated was simply too cruel.

That was when the soft sound of a song got Emma's attention. A song she had never heard before.

_There's no me without you_

The first line of the song was enough for Emma to actually get moving. This was her sign, her chance, because that's exactly how she felt. She was nothing without Regina.

_Don't know what I would do_

_You're my heartbeat, I'm breathing because of you_

The moment she grabbed the mayor's arm, the moment their eyes locked, Emma could feel the surprise and the hesitation Regina must be feeling, but when Emma squeezed the brunette's hand gently Regina gave in and allowed the blonde to lead her to the dance floor.

_There's no world without us_

_Dreams would turn into dust_

_You're the reason, the reason I make it through_

Wasn't that just the truth? They would not be here today if it were not for each other and so Emma pulled Regina close, linked their hands to get them into the right position - so they could share this dance, their first dance together.

_Feels like I'm flying, like if I had wings_

Moving over the dance floor, holding the woman she loved in her arms, made Emma truly feel like she would be floating and Regina seemed to feel the same way, because the brunette's brown eyes were sparkling brightly and there was this decent smile on the mayor's face. A smile that made Emma's knees go weak.

_Like I'm sailing on a sea of dreams_

_Your love is pouring down on me, you're my _

_Waterfall_

The speed of their swirling over the dance floor improved with the quickening beat of the melody and with every powerful word, with every turn Regina and Emma made, their surroundings faded away more and more.

_In a moment like this_

_I'm in a state of bliss_

Until nothing was left besides Emma and Regina, dancing as close as possible, holding on to each other, holding on to their love for one another.

_I'm swept away, I look into an open sky_

Emma's horizon were Regina's eyes, because they were all the blonde could see. There was nothing else, no other person, no other sound than the song in the background, no fear, not doubt. All the blonde could feel was gratitude and pride, safety and candor and that was exactly what Regina's eyes reflected as well.

_Feels like I'm flying, like if I had wings_

_Like I am sailing on a sea of dreams_

_Your love is pouring down on me, you're my _

_Waterfall_

The moment Regina moved her forehead against Emma's, the moment she closed her eyes, the blonde knew that she had done the right thing. There was nothing they needed to be afraid of, because they had each other and together they were strong, they were free and Emma could feel the love, that was washing over her body, she could feel it rushing through her veins.

_My heart is higher than the highest kite_

_I feel how all your love surrounds me_

_Standing in the waterfall_

When Regina opened her eyes again she saw the decent smile on Emma's face, a smile that was reserved for nobody, but her and she could see the love in Emma's eyes. A love, which had become so strong over the last weeks, a love that had blossomed a bit more with every day.

A love that had brought them here, a love that made her fly, even with her broken wings.

_Like I am sailing on a sea of dreams_

_Sailing on a sea of dreams_

_Your love is pouring down on me, you're my_

_Your love_

_Waterfall_

The lyrics of the song gave Regina so much strength, so much courage, that she pulled Emma even closer as the swirled around, pressed their bodies together as tight as possible, because she needed to feel Emma's heart beating against her chest. She needed it like others needed air to breathe.

And then she felt the blonde's hands on her cheeks, felt the warmth of Emma's breath against her lips.

And in that moment Regina knew that it was time to jump.

_Feels like I'm flying, like if I had wings_

_Like I am sailing on a sea of dreams_

_Your love is pouring down on me, you're my_

_Waterfall_

Emma was kissing Regina with everything she had, putting all her emotions into that kiss, because the world outside did not exist anymore.

She truly felt like their love was a huge wave, that had consumed her completely right from the start.

And there was no escape, no place to hide, because their hearts were attached to one another. They were each other's missing part of the puzzle and as broken as they might be, together they were complete.

* * *

By the time the music ended, Emma realized that they were standing on the dance floor by themselves.

A lot of people were staring at them, some were even whispering, but the blonde could not care less.

She intertwined their fingers, just to be filled with a certain feeling of rightness and belonging and Emma had to smile once again. She had already felt it when she had linked hands with the mayor when they had entered the dance floor – this undefinable feeling that their love for each other had grown into nothing less than True Love itself over time.

And so Emma and Regina left the City Hall, holding hands, showing that they were meant to be together.

They might have shown up earlier as two independent women, but they were leaving as an indestructible unit, visible to everyone, visible even to the most doubtful and most critical people of town.

Because True Love was the most powerful magic of all.


	40. Chapter 40

_A/N: Thanks for all the feedback for Chapter 39 - I'm rendered speechless. Really._

_I don't know what to say. At all._

_Just know that I am beyond grateful...and so here I am with Chapter 40 :)_

_I hope you'll enjoy it it, because I tried to create something special for all of you._

_Much love, raven_

* * *

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 40**

By the time Emma and Regina stepped out into the cold night air, they realized that it was snowing heavily.

There was nothing, but white as far as one could see, but it did not matter to them, because both women were too lost in thought, too overwhelmed by the events of the night and their feelings.

Snowflakes were dancing through the air, surrounding them, covering them in this unique crystal coat, that only winter could provide, when Regina stopped walking all of a sudden.

It was then that the brunette recognized that she was still holding Emma's hand, because the blonde had gotten pulled back the second Regina had stopped walking.

Emma watched her, a worried expression on her face, especially since Regina was staring at their linked hands forever.

But once Regina looked back up, locked eyes with Emma and that amazingly beautiful smile appeared on the mayor's face the blonde's tension started to fade away.

There they stood, eyes locked and Regina wanted to say so much, but she simply could not manage to get a word over her lips, but Emma's decent smile told her that the blonde knew.

That Emma understood without a big speech, without a long talk, without a single word even.

And so Regina simply pulled Emma close and kissed her, soft and gentle and definitely happier than ever.

* * *

They had decided to head over to the blonde's apartment, because it was closer than the mansion and now that they were about to head inside, Emma stopped walking and reached out to let some snowflakes fall onto the palm of her hand, _"Did I ever tell you how much I love winter?"_

Regina was taken aback by the question, because she had not expected anything like that, _"No, dear. You didn't. Why is that?"_

_"Because of this",_ Emma held her hand out to Regina, who did not really get what the blonde was talking about, _"Emma, I'm not sure I understand."_

_"Snowflakes. They are so special in their own way. They are rare, they are beautiful. One alone is not really important, but the more of them fall…well, once they have worked their magic everything looks so calm and peaceful. I like that"_, Emma shrugged and wanted to go inside, but Regina kept watching the flakes swirling around_, "I guess you are right."_

And this time it was Regina, who reached out to catch some snowflakes in her hand. She had never thought about it before, had never paid much attention to it, but now she watched the beautiful ice crystals melt in her palm, turn into drops of water with fascination.

Drops, that started to slide down her skin quietly within a heartbeat, but that was when Emma put her palm over Regina's and stopped the former snowflakes from escaping.

And somehow the feeling of the icecold water drops between their hands made them intertwine their fingers once again, glued them together, sealed what should not be apart.

* * *

When Emma and Regina finally entered the apartment they were both freezing and the blonde went to get some towels immediately, because they had to get their hair dry. At least a little.

Once that mission was accomplished Emma turned on the heater in the bedroom and got out of her jacket, got rid of her tie, because she had to admit that the emotional roller coaster ride of the evening had worn her out.

_"Do you want something to drink? It's not even midnight yet…"_ she suggested carefully, but Regina was not paying attention. The mayor was standing in the living room, obviously completely zoned out and so Emma went over and wrapped her arms round Regina's waist from behind, which caused the brunette to lean into the blonde's body immediately,_ "Is everything okay?"_

Emma did not know what to think of Regina's behavior, but as soon as the mayor turned round to face her, Emma recognized that there was nothing to worry about,_ "I'm fine, dear."_

* * *

Regina stood there, looking at Emma and she realized how nervous she was.

It was the weirdest feeling, because she had never felt like that before. Not in a situation like this.

She had always been a conqueror, an attacker, an aggressor, she had always taken what she wanted, whenever she wanted.

But things with Emma were completely different from that.

For once, because there had been no rush from the begin with and second, because Emma respected her deeply and would never do something to force her, to hurt her – like everybody else in her life had.

Maybe she was so nervous, because she had never felt so much before, because she had never been so in love before.

But Regina knew that there was nothing to worry about, because she was with Emma after all and with the blonde she was safe.

For the first time in her life she was safe and protected, she felt loved and treasured for who she was, flaws and all.

They had been dating for weeks, had went through hell and back together, had slept in the same bed countless times. They had kissed, they had cuddled, but Regina knew that it was not enough. Not tonight. Not ever.

She needed more, wanted more.

And so she took Emma's face and started to kiss Emma – slowly.

* * *

Emma wrapped her arms round Regina's neck, pulling the brunette closer, kissing her gently. She was so lost in kissing Regina, that she did not even recognize that the mayor moved them over to her bedroom step by step.

That was until Regina started to unbutton the blonde's blouse, because then it dawned on Emma that something was different that night and she finally became aware of her surroundings.

She pulled back from the kiss, a questioning look on her face, but she was met with nothing, but sincerity when she looked into Regina's eyes and that was all Emma needed to close the distance between them once again.

* * *

Regina had managed to get Emma out of her clothes under deepening kisses and she had enjoyed it a lot more than expected, especially when she had felt the blonde's shaking hands on her back, because it had made Regina realize that Emma was as nervous as she was, that they truly were in this together.

When Emma began to unzip Regina's dress the brunette could feel a shiver running down her spin, a shiver that made her skin tingle slightly.

That feeling got even more intense once Emma slid the dress down her chest, down her stomach until it was finally lying on the floor, together with the blonde's pants and blouse.

Both taking in the sight of one another, they stood there for a minute, eyes roaming over their bodies, both fully aware of the situation and their eyes told that it was exactly what they wanted.

When their lips met again, their kisses were still gentle and soft, but clearly not as chaste anymore, simply because their kisses started to get filled with passion and desire, with longing and a certain craving for more, which led to Emma letting herself fall back onto the bed, pulling Regina with her, pulling the brunette on top of her.

Regina could not stop herself from smiling into the kiss, because she truly appreciated that Emma had always given her the opportunity to take the lead, that Emma had never pushed her too far. And that was why Regina was so madly in love with Emma Swan.

Because the blonde understood that being not in control put Regina out of her comfort zone and Emma simply respected that letting go, letting herself fall was something Regina was not familiar with. And even now Emma was going with the brunette's pace, which was a completely new experience for Regina.

But it also made Regina realize that she was finally able to do it – to trust enough to let go, to let somebody else take control.

* * *

They had kissed each other for a while before Regina's bra, and shortly after that Emma's as well, had found its way to the floor, but their underwear had followed only a minute later.

Now that they were both stripped bare, lying skin on skin, Regina felt more drawn to Emma than ever. The sensation of their touching bodies, the feel of their beating hearts was something she had become addicted to within a single second.

Regina could barely handle the feeling of being so close to Emma, because it felt so much better than she could have ever imagined.

And in that moment Regina became aware that she had really found her True Love with Emma. Deep down she had known it for a while now, but right this particular moment she could feel it. She could feel it in her heart.

That realization was the last reassurance, the last encouragement Regina needed, before she pulled Emma on top of her, before she wrapped her arms round the blonde's neck to hold her as close as possible, before she started to deepen their passionate kisses.

Emma's hands started to roam over Regina's skin, barely touching it, but it set the olive skin on fire none-the-less.

Regina was so taken aback by all the emotions, that were washing over her, was so surprised that being touched could feel so amazing, that she had to pull back and look at Emma for a moment, simply because she could not believe this was really happening.

It still was a miracle for her that she was able to feel again at all, but feeling like she was feeling right now was so overwhelming, that it had indeed rendered the usually eloquent brunette speechless.

But Emma's sparkling eyes told Regina, that the blonde was feeling pretty much the same and the brunette felt so relieved.

She had never cared about anybody like that before, not the way she cared about Emma. And that made Regina kiss Emma again, more fiercely this time and the brunette's hands started to roam over the blonde's back as well, exploring bare skin, exploring what was "hers."

When Emma began to trail kisses down Regina's neck, down her throat, the brunette was close to losing her mind.

Could something as soft, gentle kisses really feel that good?

But the movement of Emma's fingers, which were moving slowly over the brunette's chest, made it impossible for Regina to think. She could not focus anymore. All she could do, all she wanted to do was feel. Feel Emma and feel the True Love, they felt for each other.

* * *

Their kisses were heating up, together with Regina's body, with every inch Emma's right hand moved down further and Regina felt her body move against Emma's in excitement.

Every fiber of her body was reacting to Emma's touch till the blonde's hand reached Regina's upper thigh, causing the brunette to shiver once again.

And then Emma finally touched the sensitive spot between her legs.

Regina was carried by the pure sensation of the touch and she thought she would be floating while she was putting every emotion and all the love she had for the blonde into the kisses they shared.

Experiencing getting kissed back the same and getting touched like that, in this gentle and loving way, was Regina's second new addiction, but she did not care.

All Regina could do was enjoying the moment, enjoying the pure joy of Emma Swan making love to her in way she had not even thought possible, because nobody had ever touched her like this, had ever been so soft and longing at the same time.

Her body was tensing up, her breathing was becoming faster and faster and Regina's grip on Emma tightened with every second until Regina could not hold back any longer. And once she managed to let herself fall completely, a wave of adrenalin shot through her body, made her moan, made her press her body into Emma's even more, made Regina feel the love in her heart even stronger.

* * *

It took her a while to calm down, to slow her breathing and Regina could not believe how magical she felt.

As if Emma would have literally set her free.

Free from her past, free from her pain.

Now that she was wrapped up in the blonde's arms, all safe and protected, her head resting on Emma's shoulder, Regina was close to bursting out of joy.

Her dark days were finally over and she had not only found happiness, she had also found love.

The new year could come, because if there was one thing Regina Mills was sure about, then it was the fact that it would leave her breathless.


	41. Chapter 41

**The Beauty of the Beast  
Chapter 41**

Regina watched Emma swirling through the kitchen with the brightest of smiles and that made the mayor beam with joy.  
The moment she had woken up Regina had felt the urge to touch Emma, to make love to her, to make the blonde feel the same way she had felt the night before.

And it had been sensational to do so.  
Regina had thoroughly enjoyed every second of it, had been fascinated by her own feelings once more.

Being with Emma Swan was different from everything else she had experienced in life. Everything was so much better.

But most of all Regina loved to be held by Emma, because in those moments she truly felt home. She knew that she was safe and loved and Regina would never get sick of that feeling.  
It was simply magical.

* * *

Emma was trying to make breakfast, but the truth was that her thoughts drifted off within a heartbeat. Over and over again.  
Drifted off to the night before, drifted off to this morning. Drifted off to the breathtakingly beautiful feeling of being so close to Regina, of touching her, of making love to her.

She had been in love with Regina Mills for quite a while now, but last evening had given her feelings for the stunning brunette a completely new depth.

It all had begun the second Regina had taken her offered hand and had followed her to the dance floor.

That moment had changed everything.

It had made real what Emma had known in her heart all the time – it was True Love that made their hearts beat for each other.

She could not explain how she felt about Regina, how much she felt for the brunette, at least not with words, but Emma Swan was beyond grateful that she had managed to find the woman behind the mask, that she had succeeded in discovering "The Beauty of the Beast".

Chuckling at the memory Emma spilled the orange juice she had wanted to pour into a glass and she sighed heavily.

But when Emma realized that she had managed to burn her pancakes as well, it was enough.

It would take her forever to make breakfast and that screamed for a change of plans before she would set her apartment on fire or something.

_"Seems that you're a little distracted, dear…"_

* * *

Regina had watched Emma day dreaming for a while, had barely been able to hold her laugh back when the juice had found its way to the kitchen floor, but the smell of burning pancakes had her out of bed in the end.

Of course Emma had been too caught up in her thoughts to recognize her and had jumped once she had whispered into her ear.

But this time Regina could not bite her laugh back anymore, causing Emma to glare at her in frustration, but she simply pulled the blonde into her arms and put a soft kiss on Emma's cheek, _"Granny's?_"

* * *

Walking through the snow covered town in silence, simply enjoying each other's presence, seemed to be the most comfortable thing and this time it had been Regina, who had initiated their hand holding and that had put the biggest of smiles on Emma's face, because it showed her once again that Regina felt the same way about everything they were.

They had to pick up Henry at the Charmings later – their son had surprised them by announcing that he wanted to spend New Year's eve with his grandparents, but Emma had come to the conclusion that it would be a good idea, because it would make David see that Regina had no intention to keep their grandson away from them.

When they arrived at the diner, Emma immediately cursed herself for not being able to make a proper breakfast, because the first thing she saw was Whale, who was staring at them in disgust.

Doing her best to ignore him Emma lead Regina to their favorite booth, ready to jump at the doctor if he would try to offend the mayor.

Regina slid into the booth, obviously tense, but Emma took the brunette's hands in hers, holding them gently, _"Don't worry. Everything will be okay."_

* * *

Ruby watched the scene, could smell how scared Regina had become from one moment to the next and the leggy waitress felt truly sorry for the mayor.

It must be so hard to be afraid like that, because all the good things in your life have always been taken away from you and pain is the only thing you know.

She also saw how caring Emma was, how cute it looked that the blonde was trying to calm Regina down, to reassure her that they would be okay.

Ruby had recognized that her friend had switched into protective mode within a heartbeat as soon as she had caught sight of Whale as well. And in that moment Ruby had realized that it would not take long for people to take sides – either they were standing on the Sheriff's side or they would be against her.

When Whale made it over to the booth Ruby knew what was about to come and she stormed out behind the counter, because she would not let anyone hurt Emma. Or Regina for the matter. Simply because they were a couple, because they were a family.

Ruby Lucas had already chosen, whom she would stand with.

* * *

Emma glared at the doctor, who was now standing in front of her, about to say something, but right that second Ruby grabbed him by the arm, pressed a cup of coffee against his chest and growled in a very low and dangerous voice, _"Don't you dare to bother my friends, Whale. Or I might rip you into pieces. Just go and leave them alone. And you better don't come back if you can't behave."_

The doctor was so taken aback, that he headed off without another word and Ruby gave Emma and Regina her sweetest smile, _"What can I get you, ladies?"_

* * *

It had taken Emma a while to cheer Regina up, but she had succeeded eventually.

And Emma was glad about that, because she would not let anybody ruin their happiness.

When Ruby brought the ordered dishes Emma asked her friend to sit down with them for a minute and the leggy waitress did what she was told.

Regina eyed the two women opposite from her suspiciously, but she did not say a word.

_"Thanks for kicking Whale out",_ the blonde announced quickly and Ruby nodded in understanding,_ "Anytime, Em. Anytime. I can't stand Franken-Whale anyway."_

_"I want you to have an eye on Regina when I'm not around…just in case"_, the blonde stated matter-of-factly and Ruby nodded again, _"Sheriff's orders?"_

_"Actually I'm asking you as a friend…because things could get ugly and we all know it. And I don't want Regina to have to face it all by herself…as I said…just in case I'm not around. I know it's a lot to ask, but…"_ Emma did not feel comfortable to have this conversation in Regina's presence, but she did not want to make decisions behind the brunette's back either.

_"Don't worry about it, Em. I'll have your back. And Regina's as well. Always. You are my friend and I know how much Regina means to you…I consider you family…that's some kind of wolf thing…you know living in a pack and stuff…so, as far as I'm concerned…Regina is part of the pack now as well",_ Ruby explained, sounding completely serious.

* * *

Regina had wanted to interrupt, had wanted to say that she could defend herself, that she was a big girl, but she had been so taken aback by Ruby Lucas' words, that she had not managed to actually speak.

She had been so scared that she would lose Emma if people would not react well on the news of them being together, but seeing the blonde being so sure and so confident about them, made Regina realize that there was no need to be afraid. Not even if hell would break loose.

Emma was on her side and obviously Miss Lucas was too. And not to forget about Henry.

Her son would be there for her as well.

No, she was not alone anymore and if things would work out for her for once Regina would never be alone again.

* * *

Emma and Ruby had talked about Ashley for a few minutes and the waitres and deputy had reported that things between the young mother and Sean had become even more difficult, had told that Ashley planned on moving out if she could find an apartment.

But before they could have talked about it any further, the diner door flung open and Henry stormed in, followed by the Charmings, who took a seat at the counter and so Ruby got up to take their orders.

Their son headed straight for the booth, sitting down next to Regina, smiling widely,_ "I've heard you've been dancing last night..."_

Emma's cheeks turned red within a second, _"Uhm…yeah…Regina and I…we had one dance together."_

_"In front of everyone in Storybrooke. And you kissed, right? That's so cool!"_

Regina placed her hand on her son's arm, _"Are you okay with that?"_

_"Sure, mom. Means we don't have to hide anymore…we can be a family all the time."_

* * *

Emma was relieved that their son was handling the whole situation so well, because she did not know how Regina would react if Henry would not approve of their love.

But that was a road they would never have to go down, because luckily he did.

_"Why do you even know about it, kid? You were not there. You were with Granny, together with Ashley's baby while we were at the ball."_

_"David and Mary Margaret talked about it all the way home after they had picked me up"_, Henry explained quickly.

Emma did not know if that was a good or a bad thing, but her son changed the topic all of a sudden, _"I want to go to the stables. Maybe we can take Maël and Melech outside…so they can run around in the snow for a bit…I bet they'd love that."_

The idea brought a decent smile to Regina's face and Emma nodded. They really could use some family time.

And so they got up, ready to leave, but right then Mary Margaret got over to the booth and made them stop.

_"Thanks for watching Henry last night",_ Emma announced quickly, hoping that her mother would not cause a scene now.

_"It's been a pleasure. I hope he can come over again...some day."_

_"We'll figure something out, but we gotta go now…we want to go to the stables"_, the blonde stated awkwardly and Mary Margaret nodded in understanding, _"Of course. Henry talked about Maël nonstop. And I promise to leave you alone in a minute..but first I'd like to talk to Regina."_

At that comment Emma moved herself in front of the mayor immediately, ready to protect her from her own mother – she would fight Mary Margaret if necessary, mother or not.

_"No need to be like that, Emma. I don't mean to harm anyone. I just want to talk to her for a minute."_

_"It's fine, dear",_ the mayor announced all of a sudden, squeezing the blonde's hand reassuringly.

_"We'll be right outside."_

With that Emma left, together with Henry, but not without glaring back over her shoulder twice.

* * *

Regina and Mary Margaret sat back down, facing each other, but the teacher did not waste time,_ "I just wanted to invite you over for dinner next weekend. All of you."_

The mayor eyed her suspiciously, _"Now why would you do that?"_

_"Because…"_ Mary Margaret took a deep breath, _"Because I think it's time to let go of the past…the things that happened…can't be changed anymore. But we can change the future. You are in love with my daughter…and I accept that. And I think…for Emma's sake…and for Henry's as well…we really should try to work things out so we can get along for real."_

Regina did not know what to say. She had been driven by the events of the past for so long and truth be told, nothing of it was relevant anymore, but would it be possible to move forward? With the Charmings? She had to give Mary Margaret credit for keeping her secret this time, for even talking sense into Emma, but could she really trust her? And what about David? He still wanted her head on a plate, didn't he?

_"What about your Charming?"_

_"I would fight him over this. Emma's happiness is all that matters…and I can see that you truly make her happy"_, Mary Margaret sounded so sincere and Regina could feel that her long time "enemy" was telling the truth.

_"Regina…I'm willing to let go of the past…if that is possible. At least I want to try. I'm ready to move forward…the question is…are you?"_


	42. Chapter 42

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 42**

_"Maybe it's time the two of us had a talk…but not today. As you know I have plans with my family"_, Regina answered after a short debate with herself and got up, _"But I'd appreciate it if you could stop by at my office…let's say Tuesday afternoon?"_

Mary Margaret gave her a small smile and nodded, _"I'll be there."_

* * *

Emma had glared at Regina in disbelief when the brunette had informed her about Mary Margaret's intentions, but the blonde had seemed to be relieved as well.

By the time they had arrived at the stables the Charmings had been forgotten though and Henry had talked Regina into letting the horses out, so they could indeed run in the snow.

And it had been so much fun to watch Maël and Melech running around, even Emma had laughed at the sight and Henry had been so excited, because Regina had agreed to take him for a ride soon.

Afterwards they had returned to the mansion and Emma had suggested, to everybody's surprise, to bake cookies together, which had been a blast.

Although the kitchen had looked like a bomb had exploded in there once they had been done. But for once Regina had not cared, had not even bothered to clean up right away.

She was too happy to have her family with her and in that particular moment that was more important than all of Regina's rules.

* * *

Once Henry had went to bed Emma and Regina had talked about Mary Margaret and the dinner invitation and the mayor had explained to the blonde, that she was going to have a real conversation with Emma's mother before said dinner.

The blonde had not been convinced of the idea, but Regina had reassured her that she would not harm Mary Margaret, but that she needed this for herself. That it had all started with Snow White's betrayal and that it was a thing between Mary Margaret and her after all.

* * *

Regina was working on a report on Tuesday afternoon when she heard a knock on her office door.

She knew what was about to come, she just was not sure if she was ready for it. She had thought about this whole bizarre situation ever since Mary Margaret had invited her over for dinner on Sunday, but she had not been able to come up with the answers she needed.

Maybe her conversation with Mary Margaret Blanchard would help her to figure them out though.

And so Regina put the report aside,_ "Come in."_

The moment the door opened the mayor held her breath, but the insecure look on Mary Margaret's face made her relax in an instant, obviously the teacher was as nervous and uncomfortable as she was.

_"Take a seat, Miss Blanchard."_

Mary Margaret did as she was told and Regina watched her intensely, still not convinced that this was no trap.

_"Regina…before you say something…I want to apologize."_

_"Apologize?"_ At the sound of that word the mayor had tensed up. What could that mean? What had the former Snow White done now? Had she played her again?

_"Yes, apologize. I'm truly sorry for all the pain I've caused you. I'm sorry for your loss and I'm sorry that I had not kept my promise, because that had started this whole insanity after all"_, Mary Margaret dropped her head,_ "But I was a child. A child that had lost her mother and I just didn't want that happen to you too…because I really liked you. If I had known that Cora would be able to do something as cruel as…you know…I swear I wouldn't have said a word. I never meant to hurt you."_

_"I know"_. Regina was surprised by her own words, but she knew it was the truth. She had ignored the facts for so long, but when she thought about it now, from a safe distance, she could see it for herself. Little Snow White had meant well, had tried to help her. She had been a child and she had not known what Cora had been capable of. So why had she blamed Snow all the time? All those years? Why hadn't she been able to let it go?

Because she had believed in her love for Daniel, had believed that her happy ending had been taken away from her.

But now that she had found her True Love with Emma, Regina had came to understand that she had made countless mistakes in the past and she had started to feel regret.

It was an awful feeling, but it was part of her "healing" process and Regina knew that. It was the only reason why she had not tried to fight it.

_"I've done a lot of horrible things…and I'm aware that people might never forgive me, but I'm trying to be better. For Henry. And Emma…so, for what it's worth…I'm sorry too."_

Mary Margaret glared at the former evil queen in disbelief. Had Regina Mills really said that she was sorry or was she hearing voices all of a sudden?

The shock expression on her face must be quite something, because the mayor could not hold back the laughter, but the sound of it brought Mary Margaret back to reality.

This was really happening.

She cleared her throat,_ "You have changed a lot. Don't think it has stayed unnoticed. Even David admitted that yesterday. It's hard for him to accept that you are the reason for Emma's happiness, but he will come around. It just takes time."_

Regina nodded at the statement,_ "What about you? Doesn't it bother you that Emma is in love with me?"_

_"To be honest…it doesn't…which was a huge surprise…but I had seen the love in your eyes, so I knew that you were not playing her…I knew that it was real. And when I saw how Emma looked at you, how she always lightened up when you were around…well, it made me realize that there has to be something good left inside of you…that there was still hope for you. And I thought…if anyone can bring it back to the surface…it had to be Emma and obviously she did it…because look at you…"_ Mary Margaret explained with a smile.

_"Emma is truly amazing. I can't believe that I fought her over everything in the beginning…that I wanted her dead at some point. Things have changed so much. I don't know why or how…but I have given up to figure it out long ago. I'm happy and it scares me",_ Regina admitted and Mary Margaret nodded in understanding,_ "I can imagine. But you don't need to fear me. Or David. We are not going to do anything to take that happiness…or Emma…away from you. We won't. You deserve to be happy, you deserve to be loved. You've spent enough time alone…in the darkness."_

Regina did not know what to respond to that.

Obviously Mary Margaret had truly made peace with the past? But could she do it too?

Both women sat there in silence for quite a while, but at some point the mayor could not stand it any longer,_ "I think we will come over for dinner on Saturday…if the offer still stands."_

_"Of course."_ Mary Margaret reassured and smiled,_ "I think I better get going. I'm sure you have work to do."_

Regina nodded,_ "Yes, in fact I have. Thank you for coming by though. Maybe we can work through all of this after all. Even if it will take a lot of time."_

_"We will. Today was just the start…See you on Saturday, Regina."_

* * *

After a busy week in the office they had indeed made it over to the Charmings for dinner on Saturday and it had went a lot better than the last time.

Everyone was more relaxed and willing to talk, even David had been a bit nicer than before and Emma had been so proud. Proud of Regina. And proud of her parents.

Maybe there would be a way for them after all.

Regina had been so relieved once the dinner had been over, because she had been so afraid of screwing everything up, but to her own surprise things had gone well.

And this time Henry had not needed to save the conversation with stories about his pony, although _Maël had been his main topic._

David had been very interested in the pony and Henry had talked him into going to the stables with his grandparents the next day.

And although Mary Margaret's husband still was not too fond of Regina, they still had made progress – as a family.

* * *

The next few weeks had gone by so unbelievably fast.

Emma had been staying at the mansion most of the time and they had spent a lot of time at the stables, together with Henry.

Regina and their son had taken their first ride through the woods and it had been such joy, the mayor could have sworn that Emma had been jealous.

Everything had been fine except for a few incidents with some of Storybrooke's citizens, but Emma and Ruby had barked them all away.

And Regina and Emma had spent hours on talking about their past, had worked out some of their issues, but most of the time they had spent cuddled up on the couch, watching movies. Or they had made love to each other, never getting tired of the sensation they felt whenever they touched each other.

Regina had come to love this life so fast, she could not even understand why she had tried to deny herself that chance in the beginning.

Sure, it would be easier if the people of Storybrooke would finally give her a chance, because even if the "attacks" had never gotten as bad as she had expected, it still bothered her that people would not leave them alone.

It made her sad that some citizens could not see that she truly loved Emma, that they could not see that the Sheriff was not her toy, that they could not let go of the past, when even Regina herself had started to do just that.

Emma had been strong and supportive all the way, had never complained, not once and Regina admired that, because some days she had felt like hiding in her mansion forever. She hated to be so fragile, but that was the price for her re-awakened feelings.

* * *

It was a beautiful day in Storybrooke when Emma Swan decided to pick up the mayor for an early lunch at Granny's.

She was feeling great, but she had missed Regina and so she headed over to the Mayor's office. The smell of Spring was hanging in the air and Emma was looking forward to the warmer seasons, because there would be so many opportunities for them. Like camping.

Although she doubted that Henry and her would get the mayor to go camping with them ever again, but Emma had to chuckle at the memory none-the-less.

Regina's face had been priceless and not to forget the brunette's cursing on their way back to the car. It had been quite entertaining.

Maybe she could make some sort of a deal with Regina – she could offer taking an actual horse riding lesson or better a few, one would probably not be enough, in case the brunette would agree on going on a camping trip again.

Or they could go to the cabin, where they had spent their first date. Henry would love it there and since Belle had told her to keep the keys, because she had no use for a cabin in the woods, it practically belonged to Emma.

Regina and her could practice magic there for a bit, they had started to a while ago with the basics and the mayor had been a great teacher. Emma had really made progress after some failed attempts and setting countless things on fire.

Thinking about their sessions brought this huge smile to Emma's face, because it had only brought Regina and her closer together.

But that smiled died the second Emma Swan entered the building and caught sight of Regina.

Caught sight of Regina, who was leaning against her desk, talking to a stranger. Flirting with a stranger, their lips only mere inches apart.

And then there was this insane pain in Emma's heart, a pain that cut through her like a knife.


	43. Chapter 43

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 43**

Regina had not really been surprised by the knock on her office door, but she had been surprised to see the man, who had entered the room only a second later.

A man she had never seen before.

A tall, good looking man with a bright smile and bluish-green eyes.

Who the hell was that?

Regina would not have been surprised to see Emma, because the blonde came by whenever she found time, but a complete stranger? In her office?

So she had gotten up and had walked over to the man, simply to take a closer look at him, because there was something about the stranger that smelled like trouble. Or magic.

Which meant trouble as well.

She had wanted nothing, but to find out who he was and what he wanted, but the stranger had started a playful banter with her within a minute and somehow Regina had not been able to refuse.

It had felt nice not to be judged for once, simply because that man did not know her and so she had played along.

Until she was leaning against her desk and that stranger was just a step away.

Right then she had realized that things were getting out of control, that she was uncomfortable, that she felt trapped.

_"You asked me what I wanted? Maybe it's you, who wants something"_, he had announced all of a sudden, but that had been the moment Regina had finally gotten a grip and she had leaned forward, growling in her low and dangerous voice, _"If you don't step back right now…I'll rip your heart out…before you can blink."_

But the next thing Regina had felt had been nothing, but an unbearable pain in her own heart and she had looked around, just to catch sight of Emma, who was standing in the doorframe, hurt written all over her face and it dawned on the mayor how the situation must have looked liked from the blonde's spot, _"Emma…"_

The Sheriff turned round and headed for the exit, but Regina ran after her, managed to hold her back right before Emma could have left the building, _"Emma, wait. Talk to me."_

_"Talk to you? There's nothing to talk about",_ the blonde tried to get out of Regina's grip.

_"Something bad is going to happen"_, the mayor tried to explain.

_"Yeah, that's obvious."_

_"No, that's not what I meant. Emma, this guy in my office…I guess he has magic."_ Regina looked at Emma, praying that the blonde would believe her.

_"Sure he has. And the next thing you'll tell me is that he has bewitched you, right?"_ The provocative tone in Emma's voice cut deep.

_"Hell, no. I could never do that to you, Emma. You have to believe me! I just wanted to find out who he is…and things got a little weird. I admit that. But I just told him…if he would not back off I would rip his heart out."_ Regina sounded desperate, but sincere as well and if Emma would not have been so upset, she would have believed her, but in this particular moment she could not.

And so she finally got away from the brunette and left, because she needed time to breathe.

* * *

On the way to the diner Emma bumped into Ruby, who was running around as if the devil would be after her. Of course something had to be up. Why would life give her a break for once?

Emma sighed heavily, but then she stopped her deputy and friend, _"Ruby, calm down. Breathe. What's going on?"_

_"I'll kill him. I'll rip him into pieces"_, the leggy brunette growled.

_"Whoa…slow down…whom are you talking about?"_

_"Sean. He broke up with Ashley. Can you believe that? The wedding is in two weeks and they have a baby. He just broke up with her, because he has feelings for Belle. Can you believe that? Belle! How absurd is that?! Ashley is heartbroken, really. You should see her. She has not stopped crying since last night…sure, they had a hard time lately, but even I thought they would work it out"_, Ruby explained, still upset and on the edge, _"One should think I would be happy about the news, but I'm not. I want Ashley to be happy and now she's a complete mess and I don't know what to do…but I'll bite that asshole's head off. Might kill the cat as well."_

_"Cat? What are you talking about now?"_ Emma was confused. Her friend was talking weird, wasn't she?

_"There's a cat somewhere. I can smell it and it drives me crazy. Wolf instincts, you know…"_

_"A cat? Are you sure about that?"_ The blonde started to feel uncomfortable. The last time she had heard about a cat in Storybrooke Cora had been here. So maybe Regina had been right after all. Maybe something bad was about to happen.

_"I am sure. Believe me…I'd know that smell everywhere."_ Ruby growled in disgust.

_"Okay. Listen, Ruby. Leave Sean to me…go home and take care of Ashley, okay? She needs you."_

That said Emma stormed off, suddenly aware that Regina might be in a lot of trouble.

* * *

When she arrived at the Mayor's office, nobody was there anymore and Emma cursed herself.

She should not have left the way she had.

What if something would happen to Regina?

No!

She would find her, would fight that strange guy if necessary, but Regina would be okay.

Regina had to be okay.

* * *

Half an hour later Emma was starting to panic.

Regina was not at the mansion and had not been seen anywhere else. What if that guy had taken her with her?

But when Emma was on her way back to the station she ran into Henry, who seemed to be highly worried, _"Kid, what's up?"_

_"Did you and mom fight?"_

_"Not really. I was mad, but…nevermind. Henry, do you know where she is?"_

_"She told me to go and stay with you or Mary Margaret. She wanted to go for a ride…she looked pretty miserable"_, Henry explained quickly and Emma sighed out of relief, _"Come on, I'll bring you over to the Charmings and then I'll check on Regina."_

* * *

By the time Emma arrived at the stables she had calmed down a little. She was glad that she had managed to keep the darkness out of her mind, mostly because Ruby had distracted her. Otherwise she probably would have freaked out completely.

Over the last few weeks she had been so at ease, simply because things with Regina had went so well, but today had brought her close to the edge once again.

Today had shown her that she was only a step away from turning dark again - although there had not been sign of that in a long time.

But she would worry about that later, first she needed to talk to Regina, had to make sure she was okay, that they were okay.

Melech was not in his box, was not in his paddock either, so Henry must be right. Regina must have gone for a ride.

Emma checked on her son's pony, tried to kill time by feeding it some carrots, but after a few minutes she was close to losing her mind.

She needed to talk to Regina, needed to make sure that everything was alright.

Nothing happened for a while, but at some point Emma heard hoofs and stormed outside, glad that Regina was finally back, but the second she caught sight of Melech, Emma froze.

Regina was nowhere to be seen and the stallion clearly was upset, because he snorted heavily, his eyes filled with panic.

Without thinking Emma made it over to the horse, petted his head and neck, trying to calm it down as much as she could, but she did not really succeed.

And before Emma knew it she was up in the saddle, because she had to find Regina, _"Okay, boy. Please don't kill me, okay? I need you to show me where Regina is…"_

* * *

Emma had been scared for life when Melech had stormed off like crazy, but after a few minutes she had gotten a feel for the stallion's movements and she felt a bit safer.

The horse was racing over the fields until Emma caught sight of a huge tree and recognized the sitting from in front of it.

Regina.

It had to be Regina.

Emma jumped off the horse as soon as they reached the tree and headed over to the mayor, who sat there, her face buried in her hands, sobbing heavily.

_"Hey…are you okay?"_ Emma knelt down next to the brunette and took Regina's hands into her own, causing the mayor to look up and stare at the blonde in disbelief, _"Emma, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I…I don't know…I just…I messed everything up…like I always do."_

The hurt and the fear in Regina's eyes, the tears that were running down the mayor's cheeks, made Emma understand how terrible the brunette was feeling and it dawned on Emma that Regina was truly afraid of losing her.

_"Everything is going to be okay, Regina. You haven't screwed up. I should have heard you out, but I was so…well, I was hurt to see you like that…I don't like it when other people hit on you…"_ the blonde admitted honestly.

_"Are you jealous?"_ The mayor asked in confusion.

_"Of course I am! Who wouldn't be? I mean, look at you. You're breathtakingly beautiful"_, Emma countered matter-of-factly and Regina blushed at the comment, _"Emma…I…you don't have to worry about anything. I don't care about other people. I just want to be with you. There's no need to be jealous."_

_"Yeah, right…that's why you always look like you want to rip Ruby's heart out whenever she is standing too close to me…because I told you more than once that she is just a friend"_, the blonde had to chuckle at her own words.

_"Point taken"_, Regina finally started to calm down,_ "But about the stranger in my office. I really don't know what happened. He just showed up and I wanted to find out who he was…but he had this weird look and this charming way…and before I knew it there was this playful banter going on…and you know me…I can't step back from a challenge. And I thought I'd wrap him round my little finger, but that totally backfired, because all of a sudden he was right in front of me and I realized that I had to stop. Because I could have never…in my days as The Evil Queen, maybe. But not anymore. You mean too much to me, Emma. You have to believe me."_

_"I do. I believe you. I really do"_, the blonde squeezed Regina's hands reassuringly, _"But we need to find out who he is…because Ruby said she smelled a cat."_

_"A cat?"_ Regina glared at Emma, obviously shocked.

_"Yeah. And I think that you were right about the magic. So we really need no find that guy and have a little chat with him. Because this can't mean anything good"_, Emma explained the obvious and the mayor nodded fiercely, _"I'm afraid you are right."_

* * *

After Regina had taken care of Melech they were on their way back to town in the mayor's car. Emma had decided to go with the brunette, because she had not wanted to leave Regina alone, especially not when a stranger was around and magic could be involved.

_"I still can't believe that you actually rode Melech"_, Regina announced with a smirk.

_"Are you kidding me? I was worried sick when he came back alone. I just wanted to find you"_, Emma answered quickly.

_"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry anyone. He must have ran off once I've started crying"_, the mayor concluded, sounding totally embarrassed.

_"I'm just glad you are ok."_

Regina looked over at Emma and saw nothing, but sincerity in the blonde's eyes and the brunette realized once more how much she loved Emma Swan.

How lucky she was to have her in her life.

* * *

They had agreed on checking Granny's hotel for the stranger, because if he was still in town he clearly needed a place to stay and as soon as they had entered the building the old woman had confirmed the arrival of a new guest, who was currently in his room.

Emma did not want to wait for Granny to check the guest book and headed upstairs, because she wanted answers. She wanted the truth.

And when she was honest she wanted to punch that jerk right in the face.

Knocking furiously she stood in front of the door, that was answered only a second later and a brightly smiling man showed up, _"Well, hello beautiful…"_

_"Don't even try it or I'll slap you silly",_ Emma growled. Right that moment Regina joined them and grabbed the blonde by the arm in an attempt to stop Emma from doing something stupid.

_"Come in, ladies…"_ the stranger with the bluish- green eyes offered and stepped aside.

As soon as they were inside the room, Emma grabbed him by his shirt and pushed him against the wall, _"If you ever try to play games with the mayor again…I will kill you, understand?"_

The man nodded, still smiling, but obviously uncomfortable and Emma growled, _"What's so funny?"_

_"I'm just amused that the rumors are true. The Evil Queen has indeed found True Love…with The Savior…of all people."_ That said the stranger's smile grew even wider and Emma let go of him, _"Who the hell are you?"_

_"Well, my name here is Chess…but you might know me as the Chesire Cat."_


	44. Chapter 44

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 44**

_"The Chesire Cat?_" Regina laughed bitterly, _"How the hell did you escape from Wonderland?"_

_"The White Queen sent me."_ The man's answer was plain and simple as if it would be the most obvious thing.

_"Now why would she do that, dear?"_ The mayor's patience was wearing thin. She had no time for silly games.

_"Because we all share the same problem"_, Chess countered, his smile disappearing all of a sudden.

_"And what could that possibly be?"_ Regina eyed him expectantly, not sure where this conversation would be going.

_"The Dagger of The Dark One."_

Emma glared at Chess, then to Regina and back, not sure if she had heard right, _"What? We don't even know where it is. What could you possibly want with it?"_

_"Me?"_ He looked at Emma and his smile returned to his face, _"I don't want anything to do with that thing. But we need to find it. Rather sooner than later. Because otherwise this whole little fairytale will have a really bad ending."_

* * *

Chess had explained to Emma and Regina that the dagger had to be found and that he had to be found soon, because otherwise the dagger would find a new owner on its own at some point. And that could mean nothing good.

The furry friend from Wonderland had also explained to them that the dagger had to be destroyed, because The Dark One would always be the most powerful dark wizard, would always be unstoppable.

And now that the dagger was in nobody's possession, it could be destroyed. It had to be destroyed.

Regina had been more than suspicious about Chess' intentions, but she knew that something had to happen eventually or The Dark One would rise again one day and then they would be doomed. All of them.

But she had been willing to at least search for the dagger, so she could try to destroy it. It was then that Chess had told them that Emma was the only one, who could actually touch said dagger in this world - without becoming The Dark One, because the blonde was The Savior after all, but that information had Regina on the edge within a heartbeat.

As if she would trust The Chesire Cat on that. That stupid grinning guy would say anything to get what he wanted. No way in hell would she believe him for a second.

But Emma obviously did and that had the mayor worried even more. This screamed for a trap, couldn't Emma see that?

Something had to be done about the dagger problem, but she would not sacrifice Emma's safety, no matter what.

Regina had wanted to argue, but right that moment her phone had rang and Henry had asked if everything was okay and if somebody would come to pick him up soon.

* * *

Emma had talked Regina into picking up Henry on her own, because she wanted to talk to Belle if they could have another look at Gold's shop in the morning, but as soon as the mayor had disappeared she had returned to Chess' room.

Simply because her lie detector had told her that he had not told them the truth, at least not all of it.

And she had to know what was about to come, she was The Savior after all. She had to protect her family. And Storybrooke.

And the sneaky cat had willingly filled her in on everything, but Emma had known right away that Regina would never agree on that, but she would worry about that later, because first they had to find the dagger anyway.

* * *

Henry had watched them closely all through dinner, trying to figure out if his mothers were fighting or something and although there was some tension in the air, because of the dagger thing, Regina and Emma had managed to make Henry see that everything was okay. At least between them.

But they had not been able to fool their son and he had asked what was going on – twice.

Regina had not dared to say a word, because if she was honest nobody knew exactly what was going on and what it meant. Emma had stepped in after a few moments of silence and had told Henry that she could not explain it just yet, but that she would talk to him eventually and their son had been satisfied with that.

Once Henry had went to bed Emma and Regina had made it over to the mayor's study to have a decent conversation over a glass of cider, but Regina had been so tensed up that Emma simply had lit a fire in the chimney and afterwards she had laid down on the couch and had pulled the mayor with her.

Now that Regina was resting in the blonde's arms she seemed to relax, at least a little. Emma was playing with the brunette's hair, obviously lost in thought and that had the mayor alarmed again.

What was going on?

_"Did I ever tell you about that memory? The one that always works its magic when I get a little carried away…"_ Emma turned her head to face Regina, who shook her head, _"I always assumed that you thought about Henry."_

_"One would think that, right? But 'No'…thinking about Henry didn't do the trick. Well, at least not alone."_ A bright smile appeared on the blonde's face.

_"Care to tell me what your best and most powerful memory is then, dear?"_ Regina seemed to be a little uncomfortable with the fact that there was a memory, stronger than the one about their son.

_"Remember our little talk at the campfire when we were camping?"_ Emma asked, running her fingers over Regina's face, her touch soft and tender.

The mayor only nodded, not quite sure what was about to come.

_"When you told me about your scar…for one second I could see you. The real you. The vulnerable you. Not the façade you were showing to the world. I saw it in your eyes, I saw it in the flicker of the fire, but it was that little piece of truth…that came to my mind when you told me to think of something good and pure. It's what I held on to all the time, because it was the truest thing I've ever seen."_

Regina glared at Emma in disbelief,_ "Even back then? Don't get me wrong, but we weren't even friends then."_

_"Even back then."_ The sincerity in Emma's voice made it unmistakably clear that it was nothing, but the truth and Regina could not stop herself from pulling the blonde closer, could not stop her from kissing Emma.

They were truly meant to be together.

* * *

When they arrived at the pawnshop the next morning Chess was already there talking to Belle and Sean, but as soon as Emma entered the store, followed by Regina, Ashley's ex boyfriend left, obviously scared for his life.

Belle had not dared to look at Emma either, because she was well aware that Ruby was one of the blonde's best friends and the wolf wanted Sean's head on a plate, because the leggy waitress and deputy was close friends with Ashley.

But Belle had handed Regina an old book she had found the other day and Regina stared at it for a while before the mayor explained that it was one of her mother's. Cora had obviously worked with Rumpelstiltskin for quite a while.

That had been the point when Chess had told Regina to actually use one of the spells to find the dagger and the mayor had looked at him in confusion.

Would it really be a good idea to use dark magic to find the dagger of The Dark One?

But on the other hand – what other option did they have?

And so Regina read the spell, blowing magic from the palm of her hand right into the room and the purple dust started to swirl around like snowflakes, which brought a smile to the mayor's face.

Memories truly were a powerful and good thing.

Everybody watched the magic dust expectantly, when it turned into some kind of purple fog and wrapped itself round the cracked tea cup Gold had been so big about. And after a few moments the cup was gone and the dagger was lying there instead.

_"It was here all the time? Right in front of our eyes?"_ Regina hissed and Belle added, _"I just wondered the other day why there were two cups with a crack now. Because I've broken only one."_

_"Why the hell didn't you mention that?"_ The mayor growled and Belle ducked her head immediately,_ "I'm sorry, Madame Mayor. I didn't think anything of it."_

_"Obviously not."_

_"So, what do we do now?"_ Belle looked into stunned faces and felt stupid for being so naïve.

_"I'll take it"_, Emma announced firmly and turned to face Regina,_ "We'lll meet at the well in two hours."_

* * *

Regina had wanted to argue, but Emma had grabbed the dagger and had stormed off before she could have said a word.

What the hell was going on here?

* * *

Emma had stopped by at the shelter to have a word with her father, because he had to give Regina a chance after all.

They were a family now – a real family.

And the blonde had realized that Regina was suffering a lot more under all the rude comments towards her or them for the matter and it had to stop at some point, but Emma knew they would not stand a chance as long as Charming was against them.

But it was time to let go of the past. For all of them.

Especially now that she did not know what the future would bring.

When David had finally admitted that even he could see the change in Regina's behavior Emma had hugged him and had told him to remember that the next time he would meet the mayor, because Regina was her happiness, her True Love after all.

He had been a bit startled by his daughter's words, but Emma had hugged him quickly and had left, because she wanted to pick up Henry and school would be over soon.

* * *

Henry was staring at Emma as if he had seen a ghost.

She had picked him up right in time and they had went over to Granny's for some hot chocolate and Emma had filled him in on what was going on.

There was no point in lying to her son after all.

_"You can't be serious, Emma! Mom will never allow it…"_

_"That's why she doesn't know"_, Emma countered quietly.

_"What? You did not even tell her? You have to!"_ Henry was a lot more upset than the blonde had expected.

_"Listen, kid. You might believe in this whole Savior thing…more than anyone. So give me the chance to do the right thing. Your mother would never let me do this…she would risk everyone' life over this, but that's the point. If the dagger will not get destroyed, it will destroy everyone at some point. That's why they sent that grinning cat over from Wonderland, because even they are afraid"_, Emma tried to explain.

_"I get it, but mom…I don't know how she will handle this…and what if…"_ Henry started to tear up.

_"Everything will be fine. We all need to have faith, okay?"_ Emma knew her response was beyond lame, but it was the best she had been able to come up with. And she was sure that Henry could sense how worried she was anyway.

She pulled an envelope out of her jacket and handed it to her son, _"Promise me to give this to Regina?"_

Henry stood up and hugged her tight, _"I promise."_

* * *

Regina, Emma and Chess stood in front of the well and the mayor had this bad feeling, but she tried to ignore it.

The whole situation was taking a toll on her, that had to be it.

_"So, what are we going to do?"_ Regina asked to distract herself.

At that Chess handed her a piece of paper, _"You need to do this spell…to open the portal to the Enchanted Forest."_

_"What? Where did you get that from?"_ The brunette eyed him suspiciously.

_"I'm afraid I'm not allowed to name the White Queen's sources."_

_"And who guarantees me that this is no trick…or a trap or something?"_ Regina's doubts were growing larger and larger.

_"If you don't believe me…ask your Savior. Hasn't she a lie detector or something?"_ Chess gave Regina his best smile and she rolled her eyes in annoyance, but then she saw Emma's nod and growled, _"Fine."_

_"The portal can't be open for longer than a minute. And you have to be careful, because once you stop the flow of your magic it will close…but slowly. And until it's closed completely everything or everyone can come here..as you know",_ the grinning man stated.

_"Of course",_ Regina snapped_, "I never thought it would be that easy. Like to send you and the dagger to the Enchanted Forest and get rid of it…and how will you get back to Wonderland once the dagger is destroyed? Because I can't open the portal again."_

_"I know, don't worry. The White Queen has provided me with a little help for that as well",_ Chess commented and Regina could have sworn he had purred.

Damn cat!

She was dying to know how that grinning fur ball would destroy the dagger of The Dark One, but asking would be pointless, because Regina knew he would not tell her. White Queen's orders.

Emma had been standing next to her all the time, holding the dagger in hands, but the blonde had been way too quiet for her taste and Regina started to wonder why the blonde had not said a word since her arrival, but she would ask Emma once the dagger would be gone for good.

And so Regina positioned herself, focused on the well, ready to speak whatever spell was needed to get rid of that evil thing, _"Ready?"_

_"Absolutely."_ Chess nodded fiercely and smiled even brighter.

_"So be it."_

A few seconds later Regina was surrounded by magic and she read said spell, concentrating on nothing, but the portal, which started to open as soon as she had spoken the last syllable.

The bigger the portal got, the more magic she needed and Regina was not sure how long she could hold on to it, but before she could say a word Chess jumped into the well and disappeared out of sight.

Waiting for Emma to throw the dagger through the portal as well Regina recognized the tears, which were streaming down the blonde's face and it finally hit her that something was terribly wrong and Regina instantly closed her fists to stop the flow of her magic, _"Emma?!"_

The blonde's grip round the dagger tightened and she locked eyes with Regina for a second, but then she headed forward, _"I'm sorry."_

And with that Emma jumped through the already closing portal, disappeared into another world and Regina could do nothing, but stare after the woman she loved, horror and shock written all over her face.

Emma was gone.

And Regina was not sure if she would ever see her again.

She was not even sure if Emma's return was a possibility after all, simply because she did not know what had to be done to destroy the dagger of The Dark One.

But Regina knew that it could easily cost Emma's life.

Because magic always came with a price.


	45. Chapter 45

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 45**

Regina could not move.

She was exhausted and drained from holding such a great amount of magic, but more than that she was in shock.

In shock that Emma had jumped into the portal.

In shock that Emma had left her.

That she had left her without a good-bye.

And then Regina felt the first tear running down her cheek.

A tear shed out of anger, out of worry and out of sadness, but more than anything she shed it because her heart was breaking once again.

Because of Emma, for Emma.

But before Regina could have wiped the tear away everything in front of her eyes went black.

* * *

Emma hit the ground, hard.

A wave of pain swashed over her, which made it difficult for her to focus.

It took her a while to open her eyes, but it did not help much, because Emma was surrounded by darkness.

Why was it night in the Enchanted Forest already?

She tightened her grip round the dagger and made it to her feet in the end, just to meet a pair of glowing bluish-green eyes not far from where she was standing,_ "Chess?"_

_"At your service."_ He stepped closer, smiling brightly as usual, a flashlight in hand.

_"Why is it that it's afternoon in Storybrooke and night here?"_ Emma asked, still confused with the change of daytime.

_"It's not. Wonderland looks exactly the same…everything has darkened since the death of Rumplestiltskin, because the dagger is screaming for a new owner"_, he explained quickly.

_"Does that mean that the sun won't rise till the dagger is destroyed?"_ Emma had a hard time believing what the cat had just told her.

_"I'm afraid so. And if we don't do it soon Storybrooke will look the same…shortly."_

She sighed heavily at the answer, but Emma knew that there was nothing she could do about it – except for fulfilling the purpose of destroying said dagger,_ "We better get going then, huh? How far is it to the smithery?"_

_"About a day's march."_

That said Chess started to walk and Emma hurried to catch up, her thoughts somewhere else completely.

Because she knew that Regina would have a much harder time than she would have and all Emma could do was pray that she had made the right decision.

* * *

Mary Margaret was sitting on the bed in Emma's old room, watching Regina closely.

The mayor was still unconscious and the teacher had to admit that she was truly concerned.

She had been glad when her husband had brought Regina to their apartment, because Mary Margaret had recognized the worry in his eyes and it had made her see, for the first time in forever, that David cared about Regina's well-being.

Maybe there was still hope for her family - to recover from the past.

When Henry had told them what was going on and what Emma would do, they had been shocked, but their daughter was The Savior, so maybe this was Emma's destiny after all.

But Henry had insisted that someone had to go and check on Regina, because that kid had a feeling that his mother would need help and he had been right.

And now Regina was resting in Emma's old bed and Mary Margaret was taking care of her.

Definitely as bizarre as it could get.

A sudden knock on the door caused Mary Margaret to jump, but when Henry entered the room she relaxed immediately.

_"David needs help with dinner…so you better get going before he sets the kitchen on fire"_, he stated and crawled onto the bed to sit down next to Regina, _"I'll stay with mom."_

* * *

Emma and Chess were stumbling through the darkness of the Enchancted Forest with nothing, but a flashlight and the blonde wished she would be home.

Home with Regina and Henry.

Maybe even with David and Mary Margaret.

With her family.

What if she would not make it back?

Maybe she should have said good – bye after all.

She should have given the people she loved a chance to do that, right?

Well, it was too late now.

So, she better made it back.

* * *

When Regina finally stirred she was more than just confused.

She was worn out, she was thirsty and she was definitely not at the mansion, but she was surrounded by the scent of Emma Swan.

Where the hell was she?

She wanted to sit up, but as soon as she tried someone held her back.

Regina started to panic instantly, but then she caught sight of Henry, who was sitting next to her, obviously highly worried, _"Just tell me what you need, mom. You've been out like a light for a while."_

Regina wanted to ask for a glass of water, but Henry must have sensed it already, because he stormed out of the room just to return with a bottle a minute later.

He was such a smart boy and right this moment he reminded Regina of Emma more than ever.

Emma.

Her eyes started to tear up within a heartbeat and Regina hated to be in such a weak state, physically and mentally.

But the knowledge that Emma had left for a journey with an unknown outcome made Regina's heart ache more than she could handle.

What if something would happen to Emma? If she would never come back?

Henry interrupted Regina's thoughts by helping her to move into a sitting position so she could drink some water, but she did not dare to look at her son, because Regina had never meant for him to see her like this.

_"Mom, it's okay. I know you are sad that Emma jumped into the portal. I get that you are worried, because I am too. But you have to believe in her. She will come back to us."_

Regina was startled for a moment.

How did Henry know all that?

_"Has…has Emma told you…that she would…that she would leave?"_

Henry nodded, but when he saw the hurt in his mother's eyes he knew he had to explain everything to Regina,_ "We met in the afternoon. Emma picked me up from school and we were at Granny's…for some hot chocolate. She never meant to tell me, but you know…I'm her son…I could tell that she was lying and stuff. Which reminds me…I promised her…to"_ he pulled an envelope out of his jeans pocket, _"To give you this."_

Regina took it from her son with trembling fingers and Henry got up, _"I guess I'll give you a minute and go check on Mary Margaret and David in the meantime."_

That said her son disappeared and Regina sighed heavily, but she opened the envelope anyway.

But once she held the paper in hand, once she saw Emma's handwriting she could not hold the tears back any longer.

_'Regina,_

_I'm sorry that I didn't tell you that I have to go with Chess, but I knew you'd never allow it._

_The point is that this needs to be done, the dagger needs to be destroyed once and for all, because otherwise we'll never be safe._

_And I can't sacrifice Storybrooke and all its people, because I'm scared, because I don't want to leave you._

_I guess I'm The Savior for a reason and that's why I have to do this – to keep people safe. To keep you and Henry safe._

_I know you think we could have found another solution and you are probably right, but we wouldn't have made it in time._

_And since we are running out of time I have to do this, I have to make things right – for all of us._

_Please don't lose faith, Regina, don't lose faith in me._

_I will come back to you._

_Emma'_

Regina clutched the letter to her chest, sobbing hard, holding on to the few lines Emma had left for her.

She knew that the blonde was right – she would have never allowed any of this, but still. Emma should not have made this decision without her.

* * *

When Henry returned with two plates of food in hand Regina was still crying and she had needed all her willpower not to yell at her son, because she wanted nothing, but to be left alone.

_"Mom, you need to eat…at least a little",_ Henry stated quickly, sensing that Regina's mood was more than low, but he had made a promise to Emma. He had promised to take care of Regina while the blonde was gone. And he had no intention to break that promise, especially since Emma was fighting this battle to keep them safe.

_"I'm not hungry, Sweetheart."_

But Henry sat down next to her anyway, putting the plate carefully in front of the mayor, _"You love Emma, right? You know that what you and Emma have is True Love, don't you?"_

Regina eyed her son intensely and hesitated for a moment, but then she nodded to confirm his statement, _"Yes. And yes."_

_"I think it's time that you start to believe in True Love then"_, Henry countered with a smile.

_"What makes you think that I don't believe in it?"_ Now Regina was confused. Why would her son think that?

_"Well, obviously you don't. I guess you're pretty much scared that Emma will never come back…I know it was not okay that she didn't tell you about the whole thing…but I understand why she did it. She wanted to protect you…because she loves you too"_, Henry explained, _"You have been evil for so long, you had nothing, but your pain…but it's over now, mom. You have me. And Emma. You'll never have to go back to that dark place again. She will come back…because True Love can break any curse. And it will show Emma the way back home. For sure."_

Regina could not stop herself from hugging Henry tight, but her son did not seem to mind,_ "Thank you, Sweetheart. For talking some sense into me."_

* * *

After their little conversation Henry had managed to talk Regina into eating a few bites of chicken and vegetables, much to his relief, because he was truly worried about his mother.

That was when David entered the room and Regina tensed up immediately,_ "Don't worry. I just wanted to check on you…are you in pain or something? I don't know if you hit your head or something…'cause when I arrived at the well you were already unconscious."_

_"You went looking for me?"_ The mayor glared at David in disbelief and Charming started to laugh, _"Is it really that hard to believe? Henry told us about Emma's plan and that he was worried about you…so I went to see if you needed help."_ David paused for a second, but then he smiled because he remembered his conversation with his daughter earlier that day,_ "We are a family after all."_

Regina just nodded and wanted to get up, but David gestured with his hand to keep her sitting, _"You can stay for as long as you want. I know you'd never admit it, but I guess it's safe to say that our apartment is warmer and more familiar than that mansion of yours. One could get lost in there."_

* * *

Emma was beyond exhausted.

They had walked forever till they had finally arrived at the smithery.

At the smithery where the dagger had been made a long, long time ago.

She wished Regina would be by her side, because in that particular moment Emma would have killed for one gentle kiss of the brunette.

Racing through the woods in complete darkness, climbing up hills and hiding from tons of God forbidden creatures had put her on the edge. It was a wonder that they had made it to the smithery at all without getting into big trouble.

But here they were and now all she had to do was to destroy the dagger, right?

_"So, what do I do now?"_ Emma asked into the darkness, because she could not see Chess' glowing eyes.

_"Light the fire in the fireplace"_, he showed up right next to her all of a sudden, causing the blonde to jump.

_"Don't do that ever again! And how am I supposed to light a fire? Did you bring matches or a lighter or something? Because then we would be out of here in no time"_, Emma growled, but she managed to hold on to her hope of being back home soon.

_"I'm afraid it's not going to be that easy…in fact…coming here was the easy part…now starts the hard work"_, Chess replied carefully, _"Because you are the only one, who can ignite this fire…with your magic."_

_"My magic?"_ Emma was close to getting hysterical.

Sure, Regina and her had practiced a bit over the last weeks, but this was something completely different. Especially since Regina was not here to help her.

And if she remembered correctly magic did work differently in Storybrooke.

Great!

They were so screwed. And for the first time Emma realized that she might not make it back home anytime soon. Or ever.

* * *

Regina had indeed slept in Emma's old room, together with Henry, who had refused to leave her side and she had been thankful for that, because having him around, even having the Charmings around, had made her feel less alone.

After her conversation with Henry she had told herself to be positive, to believe in her love for Emma and it had worked most of the time.

The next three days she had spent with distracting herself by working or going to see Melech, taking Henry for a ride and they had enjoyed dinner with David and Mary Margaret in the evenings.

And much to Regina's surprise they started to get along after all of the troubles of their past. She hated to admit it, but David and Mary Margaret were truly helping her through this difficult time and she was grateful for that.

Was grateful that the Charmings had agreed to start over, to start from scratch, to give her a fair chance.

And their love for Emma, but more than that their worries about the blonde's well-being had glued them all together, which was the one positive thing in this drama.

David and Regina had also agreed to check the well twice a day – Charming in the mornings and Regina in the afternoons, but when she arrived there today, Regina knew right away that something was different, that something was wrong.

When she stepped closer she saw something run down the outside of the well and Regina's heart was close to beating out of her chest in an instant.

What was that supposed to mean? What was going on?

She had tried to be strong and positive for almost four days, but now she could not hold up her façade any longer and the truth was that she was scared to death. Scared that Emma would not make it back.

And when she touched the well, touched the dark fluid that was coming out of it, Regina could see Emma for a second.

She saw Emma, caught in the darkness, completely lost and helpless, cowering on the floor and the knowledge that she could not do anything to help Emma brought Regina close to losing her mind.

That was the moment she pulled her hand back.

And once Regina recognized the liquid for what it was – she froze.


	46. Chapter 46

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 46**

Regina stood there, staring at the blood on her hand, not able to move.

The blood was still warm and she knew it was Emma's.

But what did it mean? And how did it get here?

She tried to concentrate, to focus, to get another vision of the Enchanted Forest, but nothing happened and Regina sank to her knees, tears running down her cheeks.

Emma was hurt and she needed her help and there was nothing she could do.

Slamming her fist against the well Regina felt her chest tightening out of fear, because she was aware that she would lose Emma if she would not find a way to help her.

She needed a miracle.

The only problem was that Regina Mills did not believe in them.

* * *

Emma was trying to stop the bleeding of the rather deep cut on her left arm by pressing her right hand against it, close to tears.

She was frustrated to no end, because she had tried everything to ignite a fire, but all her attempts had ended with her making something explode or worse. She had hurt herself countless times in the process of trying and Emma was sure that she must look like a punching bag by now.

And Chess was unconscious as well, because she had knocked him out accidently a while ago.

This whole thing was backfiring in the worst way and Emma was aware of it.

She could have sworn that she had seen Regina standing at the well for a moment, but the picture had been gone as fast as it had popped up and Emma started to question her sanity. She might have lost her sense of time, but Emma knew that she was here for too long.

And she never would have left Regina if she had known this before, because she had never meant to hurt the brunette.

She had thought that she would be home a lot faster. Little did she know.

Leaning back against a wall Emma Swan took a deep breath. She needed to concentrate, needed to focus, but first of all she needed some rest.

* * *

It had taken Regina a while to resolve her composure, but now that she was standing in Gold's shop, looking for the weasel's old spell book, she felt better. At least a bit.

Simply because using magic to get rid of problems was something Regina was way too familiar with.

Magic had never let her down.

But the more she thought about it the more Regina Mills realized that all her misery had actually started with magic.

Her mother had used it to punish her, had used it to gain more power, had used it to kill. And she had done exactly the same.

And the truth was that all the magic had lead to nothing, but loss and heartache. A whole lot of heartache.

That realization made Regina stop dead in her tracks.

Magic was the root of all evil, wasn't it?

* * *

Emma was opening her eyes, because she felt someone shaking her body, "What the hell?"

_"Oh, thank God you're alive."_

At the sound of Chess' voice the blonde relaxed instantly, _"Yeah…and so are you. I just needed a break, some rest…"_

_"I get it. Are you okay?" _ He asked carefully, quite sure he knew the answer.

_"No. How could I be? I want to go home. This was a stupid idea!"_ Emma snapped and got up in a hurry, just to stumble over a stone and fall back to the ground within a heartbeat, _"Damn it! DAMN IT!"_

Once she made it back to her feet for the second time Emma recognized how sore and exhausted she was, but more than everything she was mad.

In fact she was mad as hell.

_"I've tried everything, but I can't light that fire, Chess. I just can't. As much as I want to…it doesn't work",_ Emma buried her face in her hands, because she had lost hope, even if she would never admit it.

_"I know…but can we try one last time?"_

Emma hesitated for a while, but then she shrugged carelessly, _"Sure. It's not like we would have anywhere else to go anyway."_

That said she positioned herself in front of the fireplace once again when Chess stepped right behind her, _"Don't think about the dagger. Think about Regina, think about that love that is burning inside of you…use your love…or a memory…whatever it takes…"_

A memory.

Instantly closing her eyes Emma tried to focus, tried to bring back the picture of Regina, that had helped her to calm down so many times and before she knew it Emma was dwelling on all the good memories Regina and her had created together, a certain picture of the brunette sitting by the campfire never leaving her mind.

And then she felt a familiar tingling on her skin, which could only mean one thing.

Magic was coming back to her.

* * *

Regina had spent hours in the pawnshop, had read practically every spell in Rumplestiltskin's book, but she had not found what she had been looking for.

There was no way for her to get herself to the Enchanted Forest – at least not without the help of her mother or Gold.

And both of them were dead.

But while she had been searching for the book she had found something else.

A potion.

A potion the sneaky old man had kept like a treasure, hidden in the darkest corner of his shop, hidden behind the most useless things.

A potion to end it all.

* * *

Emma watched the flames in disbelief.

She had made it.

After an unknown amount of time and too many failed attempts to count she had managed to ignite the fire in the smithery.

Too exhausted to stop herself she started to cry out of relief, because this unwanted journey would come to an end after all, which meant that she would be able to return to Storybrooke soon.

_"What do I do now?"_ She looked at Chess, eager to hear how she could destroy the dagger.

_"First of all you need to put that thing into the fire"_, he explained quickly, _"Then you have to read this…"_ he handed her a piece of paper, _"And then you have to put the dagger out and smash its blade by using your magic."_

Emma sighed heavily.

Of course the magic again. But she would do anything to get rid of that dagger and out of here and so she did as she was told and threw the dagger of The Dark One right into the flames.

_"You better concentrate"_, Chess demanded, _"Because you have only one try to make this right."_

Emma glared angrily at the smiling man. Was that supposed to make her feel better?

It took her a while to calm herself, but then she stepped forward, closer to the flames, closer to the dagger and willing to do what she had signed up for, because she would never get more ready than she was now.

One last thought about Regina was the motivation and encouragement Emma had needed and then she read the spell Chess had given her.

She read it with the strongest and most confident voice she could manage and once it was done she grabbed the poker, which was lying on the ground and pulled the dagger out of the fire with a single move.

It slid right in front of her feet where it came to a halt, glowing dangerously and Emma needed all her willpower to focus on something else, but the dagger.

It was as if she would be drawn to it, as if it would be calling for her, as if it would be begging her not to destroy it.

And for a moment Emma was tempted to grab the dagger and run for the hills, but then a certain picture of Regina popped up in front of her and when she saw the hurt in the brown eyes of the woman she loved, Emma knew what she had to do.

Focusing on her memory, concentrating on the love she felt Emma opened her fists and let the magic flow, let it hit the dagger with full power until she heard a loud thunder outside.

And then she watched the dagger break into pieces.

* * *

Regina was devastated.

Six days without a word or sign from Emma, except for a horrifying vision of the blonde struggling more than she had imagined.

She had succeeded in talking Henry to stay with the Charmings for the weekend, because she wanted to be left alone. She needed time to think, needed time to…

To what? To come to accept that Emma would not come back?

That was impossible.

She would never be able to get over it if she lost Emma.

* * *

Emma and Chess were standing outside the smithery, watching the sun rise.

They both looked like they had been run over by a truck. Twice.

At least.

But neither the blonde, nor the cat cared. They had destroyed the dagger of The Dark One and that was all that mattered.

_"So, what now?"_ Emma wanted to know.

_"Now we are going home. And don't forget to lock your piece of the dagger away as soon as you are there…it can't be put back together. Ever"_, Chess smiled brightly.

They had buried on piece in the woods and Chess would take another one to Wonderland with him and Emma had to take one to Storybrooke as well.

She nodded fiercely, _"I get that. But how do I get back home?"_

_"As for me",_ Chess stated,_ "I'll take that potion the White Queen gave me."_ That said he swallowed the bluish-green liquid from the vial he had been holding in hand for a while and only a second later he was not this handsome looking guy anymore, but back to his usual appearance as the Chesire Cat and Emma eyed him in amusement.

_"Great. But how do I get back to Storybrooke?"_

_"The answer is in your heart."_

And with that the cat disappeared.

* * *

Emma was exhausted and sat down in the grass, because she needed to breathe for a moment before she would try to figure out Chess' words.

She needed a minute to process everything that had happened since she had jumped into the well.

But once she had calmed down a little Emma realized that she was stuck in the Forest by herself now, because the tricky cat had left her alone.

What if she would not figure it out?

What if she would be stuck here forever?

Emma let herself fall back into the grass and stared into the sky, hopeless.

Now that the dagger was destroyed she should feel happy and motivated, but the truth was she did not, because she had no idea how to get home. To get back to Regina.

_"The answer is in your heart"_, Chess had said, but what did it mean?

It could mean literally anything, couldn't it?.

Her whole body was hurting, because of all the bruises and cuts and Emma just wanted to close her eyes.

To close her eyes and sleep for a while, but she was aware that it was too dangerous to do that with all the creatures of the Enchanted Forest around.

Emma was about to get back up, but then she remembered that she had brought something with her, something to hold on to.

It was the most precious thing she would ever possess and she opened her jacket to put it out – Regina's diary.

She had not read in it since she had been allowed to take a look at Regina's last entry, not even after the mayor had given it to her as a gift on Christmas morning, but right now she felt like she needed it.

Too feel closer to Regina.

And so Emma opened the diary to read a random entry, when she caught sight of something she had never seen before.

When she took a closer look Emma caught sight of the date – December 23.

Regina must have written it the night Henry and her had stayed at her own apartment.

She hesitated for a moment, but then she began to read, too curious to stop herself.

_'Dear Diary,_

_I cannot believe how much my life has changed over the last few weeks – for the better I might add._

_Not only did I get myself a real family after all, but I also found love. I found love with Emma Swan._

_Who would have guessed that The Saviour would be my destiny in the end?_

_I have spent so much time on fighting Snow White and her Charming, I enacted the dark curse to get away from them – just to end up falling madly in love with their daughter._

_And I think everything that has happened in the past has happened for a reason, because it has lead me here – straight into Emma's arms._

_Well, not straight. There were a few obstacles to overcome, but still._

_After all these years I have found happiness and love and it scares the hell out of me, because I do not want to lose it again. I do not want to lose Emma. Or Henry._

_I wish they would be here right now, here with me, but of course I have sent them away._

_Christmas has always been a sensitive topic for me because of my mother, but now that I could have a normal holiday like everyone else, together with my family, I could not bear it._

_I was so overwhelmed for a moment that I sent them away and yes, I know how stupid that was._

_Especially since my pride would never allow me to call Emma and ask her to come back. She has seen me at my best and my worst, but still. I cannot always be weak, because I have somebody to lean on now._

_I need to find my strength again, because the day will come when I have to be strong for her._

_That is how life is after all. It is a rollercoaster ride till the end._

_But I am so unbelievably happy that I do not have to continue my journey alone._

_It is embarrassing how depended I have become, how I cannot sleep properly when Emma is not here, but I would never admit that._

_The point is that I feel safe and protected when Emma is with me and I can allow myself to let go of my urge to control everything, because I know she watches out for me, that she has my back and that makes relaxing so much easier. Actually, that makes it possible at all._

_And besides that there is another reason why I do not sleep that much lately and I found a quote that covers it quite well:_

_~You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. –Dr. Seuss~_

_Regina'_

Emma wiped a few tears from her cheek and clutched the journal against her chest. She had to get back to Storybrooke.

Now.

* * *

Regina was lying in her bed, a pullover of Emma pressed against her nose, crying bitterly.

A few more hours and it would be a week since the blonde had jumped into the portal, since she had left her and Regina's hope was sinking with every minute that went by.

Emma should be back by now, she should have returned a lot earlier.

And not to forget about the blood that had come out of the well a few days ago.

Regina was aware that it could not mean anything good, but she refused to accept the facts for what they were.

She would not give up yet although she was not able to stay positive any longer. She had tried her hardest to believe in Emma, to believe in True Love, but obviously that love had let her down badly.

And Regina had no idea what to do.

* * *

Emma ran as fast as she could, followed by some creature she could not really describe. It probably was an orge or something, but she did not dare to stop to get a closer look, because whatever it was that followed her was huge and could easily kill her.

She raced through the woods, her lungs on fire, trying to figure out how to get away from here, but her thoughts were too much of a jumble to concentrate.

Her bad physical shape did not help much either and then, all of a sudden, Emma felt how something grabbed her leg and the next thing she knew was that she was being smashed against a massive tree.

Pain exploded inside of her and Emma could feel her bones breaking, could hear every single crack, while her heart was beating out of her chest and the blood was rushing in her ears.

This was not going to end well.

When she felt something lift her up again, Emma was not able to open her eyes anymore, because her head was hurting badly and if she was honest she did not want to know what was about to come.

All she wanted was to go home and to see Regina again.

Regina.

All their good memories were popping back up right that moment and it put a smile on Emma's face, despite of all the pain she was in.

And then she remembered their dance on New Year's Eve and how magical the moment had been. It had taken her breath away and she had felt as if she would have been floating.

Nothing had existed right then – except for Regina and her.

They had been one, they had been united through their love for one another.

And then Emma realized that she was being thrown through the air again and while she fell she lost the battle against unconsciousness, with nothing on her mind, but Regina Mills and how much she loved her.


	47. Chapter 47

_A/N: Hello everyone!_

_I just want to apologize for my long absence real quick. I never meant to take so long to update the story, but well…what can I say…some birthdays came in the way, including my own and a short vacay, which was more than needed._

_But here I am now…with Chapter 47 of "The Beauty of the Beast". _

_At this point I want to say that this story is going to end with Chapter 50 – so this Sunday._

_I'm already working on some new stuff…well, a lot of new stuff in fact, some by request, others by my own crazy mind._

_Anyway…I don't want to keep you waiting any longer. Hope everyone is well._

_Much love,_

_Raven_

* * *

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 47**

Regina shot up, her heart racing, her breath heavy.

She had not been able to fall asleep for a long time and now she had woken up from the worst nightmare ever.

She had seen Emma die. Right in front of her eyes.

And she had not been able to do a thing about it, but watch Emma do her last breath.

Regina started to sob heavily, tears streaming down her face.

She would lose Emma, she was sure about that.

* * *

It had taken Regina a long while to calm down, but the feeling of loss was still present and she did not know how to handle it.

She wished that she could at least talk to Emma, but there was no chance. Not at all.

Since the blonde had jumped into the portal, had disappeared in the well, Regina was lost.

More lost than ever before.

She had tried to be strong, had tried to stay positive, had tried to believe in True Love, but when Emma had not returned she had started to realize that all her power was not able to give her strength anymore.

Her mother had been wrong.

Love was not weakness, it was strength.

Loving Emma had set her free, had made her truly strong from the inside, but now that the blonde was gone all that was left of Regina was an empty shell.

Back then when she had been The Evil Queen she had felt so much anger, so much hate, which had made the pain in her chest at least somehow bearable.

But this time there was nothing, but this heart wrenching pain, nothing to distract her from the loss that was about to come.

And because Regina did not know what to do she decided to go to the well, because it was the only place where she would feel close to Emma. At least a little.

* * *

When Regina was on her way to her car she recognized a certain ache in her chest, an ache that had not been there before.

Or was it?

She had been so devastated by her nightmare that she had not really paid attention, but now she could feel it clearly.

Something was wrong. Something had to be wrong.

Emma.

There was no time to waste and so Regina moved her hand in a circle around her body and disappeared in a cloud of purple dust within a heartbeat.

* * *

The second Regina appeared at the well she held her breath when she took in the sight in front of her.

Emma's lifeless body was hanging out of the well like a sack of potatoes, blood everywhere.

Regina was aware that it might be a matter of minutes, maybe even seconds and although she was scared to death to move the blonde's body, she knew she could not waste a heartbeat. Neither to call David, nor the ambulance.

And so she covered Emma's body with her own and with another gesture of her hand she transferred them right into Storybrooke's hospital.

* * *

Emma had been taken into surgery right away and Regina had called David to let the Charmings know that their daughter at least had made it back.

But from what Regina could tell her chances to survive were beyond low.

Once she fell into a chair in the waiting room Regina could not hold the tears back any longer. She had been busy with bringing Emma here, with making sure that she did not hurt the blonde any more, but now that she had time to take everything in that had happened Regina was getting hysterical.

And Emma's life being in Whale's hands was not too calming either.

She had found the blonde barely alive, but Emma clearly was in a very bad condition and Regina remembered her nightmare all too well.

She would lose Emma, she would lose her love and more than that she would lose her world.

* * *

David and Mary Margaret had managed to talk some sense into Regina once they had arrived at the hospital, but tension and fear had never left the waiting room till Whale entered, hours later.

He had told them that Emma had suffered a craniocerebral trauma and that they had to still severe inner bleeding. That some of the blonde's ribs were broken and that she had tons of cuts and bruises all over her body.

They even had to put her into a medical induced coma, because Emma's condition was nowhere near stable and that the next 24 hours would be critical.

All color had left Regina's face, but she had insisted on staying with Emma anyway and nobody had dared to argue with the rather upset woman and so Regina had taken her seat in an uncomfortable chair next to the bed in which the blonde was resting.

* * *

Two long days and two even longer nights of praying for Emma's survival had brought Regina to the edge, had brought her to her personal limit of what she could bear.

But then Emma had opened her eyes, even if it had been for the briefest of moments, before she had fallen asleep once again and Whale had explained to the mayor that the blonde's body simply took its time to heal.

That day David had managed to talk Regina into going home for a few hours to get some rest, because Regina was drained and exhausted to no end.

And since she had been there when Emma had woken up she had finally given in once she had seen the pleading look on Henry's face.

The last thing they needed was an even more concerned kid.

Although the brunette had to admit that the Charmings had done a great job on keeping Henry calm and sane she had wished countless times that she could have shared their optimism.

* * *

Regina had slept much longer than intended and so it was already evening when she returned to the hospital.

She was prepared for finding a sleeping Emma or maybe a somehow half awake Emma, but she was not prepared for the sight that awaited her when she entered the blonde's room.

Henry was sitting on the bed, next to his mother and both of them were laughing, together with Mary Margaret as if nothing would have happened.

And in that moment the whole situation hit Regina to its full extent.

All the worries, the nightmares, the fear, the whole hell she had gone through.

Emma could have died and although Regina knew she should be nothing, but grateful, she was so angry all of a sudden.

Angry that the blonde had made this life changing decision without her, that Emma had left without a good-bye.

"Mom!" Henry's voice ripped her out of her thoughts and Regina glared right at Emma, who held a shaky hand out and reached for the brunette.

But Regina could not bring herself to walk the few steps over to the woman she loved dearly. She was consumed by her emotions, good and bad, and right then everything became too much.

And the next thing Regina realized was that she was storming out of the hospital as fast as possible – as if the devil would be after her.

* * *

Emma was confused.

Regina had left without a word and she did not understand why.

She had been so relieved when the brunette had been there when she had woken up for the first time and once she had been fully awake she could not wait to see Regina again, because her love for the brunette had kept her alive all the way.

Whale had checked on her and had told her that it was a miracle that she was still breathing and that it was even more of a miracle that her body was healing so fast, but being The Savior had to have some perks after all.

She had been up all night, waiting for Regina to return, but the mayor had not shown up again which had Emma highly worried by the morning when David entered her hospital room.

"Have you talked to Regina?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, Emma. We've tried to call her, I've even been at the mansion, but she wasn't there", David explained sadly.

"I don't understand what's going on", Emma admitted with tears shining in her eyes.

"Well, I guess I do. You haven't seen her during the last week…Regina has went through hell and back. She's been worried sick, afraid of losing you forever…I think this has taken a real toll on her, maybe even more than we realized. We are all used to the strong, cold hearted Queen she has been, but she has changed so much since…since she has fallen in love with you, Emma. We always tend to forget that."

"Yeah…you're right. She is still strong and everything, but I agree. Regina has changed a lot."

"In our world the two of you would be married by now, you know", David blurted out all of a sudden and did not even know why.

"Are you trying to tell me that I should propose to her?" Emma glared at her father in disbelief, "Because considering how her first marriage ended…I'm not even sure if it would be an option."

"No. That's not what I meant, Emma. But Regina was hurt, deeply hurt, because you had left without giving her a choice. Without giving her a chance to say good-bye. And somehow I think her disappearance could have something to do with that", David explained his logic and Emma nodded in understanding.

"Don't get me wrong, Emma. We all knew why you have done it, but think about it. Regina has lost so much and then…after years of darkness and pain…she has fallen in love again. She has started to heal…and then you disappear without a word. I guess that has pretty much shattered her world all over again. You should be committed enough to her by now…after all you've been through. To talk to her about decisions, because that's what people in relationships do. Regina trusts you…she feels safe with you…running away and bailing out aren't your options anymore. At least they shouldn't be."

David gave his daughter a stern look, but squeezed her hand reassuringly only a second later.

"When have you become so wise?" Emma watched her father, wondering how he knew all these things about Regina.

"The day Regina slept in your old room, because you had decided to jump into a portal without telling someone. That day I saw her cry, that day I saw the fear in her eyes. And I also so the love she has for you. And it made me realize that the woman I knew, The Evil Queen, didn't exist anymore. Evil has been beaten by True Love."

* * *

Emma had to stay in the hospital for another three days.

Three days of visits from her parents and her son, but also three days without a word from Regina.

She had tried to call the mayor countless times, but Regina had never answered the phone, nor had she ever called back and Emma was close to losing her mind.

Mary Margaret had told Emma to give Regina some time, but Emma could not wait any longer and the moment Whale finally released her the blonde left the hospital on her crutches, eager to go to the Mayor's office, because she had to talk to Regina, had to apologize to the woman she loved.

Emma hobbled down the street when she caught sight of Granny's diner and saw a certain brunette entering the establishment in a hurry.

Speeding up as much as possible the blonde made her way over, but Regina left the diner, a cup of coffee in hand, before she arrived there.

"Regina, wait!"

The mayor stopped dead in her tracks and turned around, just to stare at Emma, showing not the slightest emotion, but the blonde hobbled into the brunette's direction anyway, almost stumbling over her crutches in the process.

"What do you want, Miss Swan? And make it quick…I have a tight schedule."

"Regina, we need to talk", Emma pleaded, but the mayor stayed unimpressed.

"I don't know what we would possibly need to talk about, dear. You've done a great job making decisions on your own before", Regina snapped back.

Emma took both crutches in one hand and reached out with the other to grab the mayor's, but Regina pulled back immediately, "I'm sorry, Regina. I know I made a mistake…that's why I have to talk to you."

"One day…maybe. When I'm ready to hear whatever reason you have for doing what you did." That said Regina turned round and started to walk away.

And Emma knew it was now or never.

"I did it…because I LOVE YOU!"

Regina's movements stopped again, but it took her a while till she turned round – to face Emma, "What?"

"I did it because I love you, Regina. I did it because I would give my life to keep you safe. I never meant to stay away that long or to worry you…or to hurt you. I just knew you would never let me go…you'd rather sacrifice Storybrooke and everyone's safety and I couldn't let that happen. But you and Henry…you are everything to me. That's why I had to destroy that damn dagger. So we can live in peace. Because I do love you."

Tears ran down both of their cheeks, but neither woman cared.

Regina had known for a while that Emma Swan truly loved her, but neither of them had ever said it out loud.

But hearing the three magical words, hearing it in all sincerity, touched the mayor's heart in a way she had never thought possible and Regina could not stop herself any longer.

She had to pull Emma into her arms, she had to hold her close, had to feel the blonde.

Crutches falling to the ground Emma wrapped her arms round Regina's waist as well and held on to Regina for dear life, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

And in that moment Regina was able to let go of her control, was able to allow herself to be weak, because Emma was there to catch her, "I'm sorry too. I should have been there for you…but I was so…I thought I'll never see you again…and I…I can't live without you, Emma. I can't. Because I love you too."


	48. Chapter 48

_A/N: Hello everyone,_

_Sorry for the delay again. _

_The current weather is driving me crazy, the heat here in Germany is messing with my head so much – I really couldn't concentrate long enough to write a coherent sentence._

_And earlier today my internet connection decided to go on vacay or something…because it clearly did not work L_

_Anyway…here is Chapter 48!_

_I hope you'll enjoy it…_

_Much love,_

_raven_

* * *

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 48**

Admitting that she was in love with Emma was the ultimate weakness.

At least that's what she had believed in for a long time, because of how she had been raised.

But the truth was that Regina Mills felt stronger than ever.

* * *

Regina had demanded that Emma would spend the afternoon in her office so she could have an eye on the blonde and Emma had agreed willingly.

And so the Sheriff sat on the Mayor's couch now, reading reports from the time she had been in the Enchanted Forest while Regina did her usual paperwork and Emma realized that she was right where she belonged.

Regina must have felt something similar, because she got up from her chair all of a sudden, walked over and sat down next to Emma, taking the blonde's right hand in her own, which made Emma forget about the file she was attached to and she looked straight into the breathtakingly beautiful brown eyes of the mayor.

"I want you to move in with me."

Emma was startled by Regina's words and could not process them at first, "What?"

"I want you…to move in…with me", Regina repeated, "Only if you want to…of course."

"Yes. Absolutely yes!" Emma's answer came without hesitation this time and before Regina could have stopped her the blonde had pulled her against her own body and had kissed her fiercely.

Simply because Emma had to make sure that this was real, that this was really happening.

When had she gotten so lucky?

* * *

David had picked Emma up at the Mayor's office about half an hour later, because he and Mary Margaret had wanted to spend some time with their daughter, when Emma had told him about her plans to move in with her family.

And the news had brought a genuine smile to Charming's face, a smile Regina had never expected to be directed at her, at least not by him.

Sure, they had made peace during the time Emma had been absent, they had managed to get along, but David being so happy for Emma and Regina about their new living arrangement was still surprising the mayor.

In the best way possible though.

* * *

Now that she was finally done with work Regina realized that it was time to pick up Henry, because she wanted to share the news with him before they had to head over to the Charmings to have dinner together.

She had received a text from Mary Margaret not long after David had picked Emma up, saying that a family dinner was in order and she had stared at her phone for a while.

Regina wondered if she would ever fully get used to the fact that they indeed were a family now.

The Evil Queen and the Charmings – who would have guessed.

* * *

When she and Henry arrived at the diner her son took a seat across from her in their favorite booth, staring at Regina expectantly, "What's up, mom?"

That kid was too smart for her own good sometimes, but Regina was so proud of him that she did not mind. She was just glad that they had managed to work through all their issues of the past and that he was loving her again, no matter what.

"Emma will move in with us", she stated simply, knowing full-well that it would be pointless to give him a speech or something, because Henry would see right through her anyway.

"Awesome! So you guys are okay?"

"Yes, we are perfectly fine, sweetheart."

Regina gave him a decent smile and allowed Henry to order a milkshake before dinner – just this once.

The second he returned from the counter Henry sat down, completely excited, "Does that mean that you and Emma will get married?"

Regina almost jumped at the question, eyes wide, but she regained her composure quickly, "No, sweetheart. We won't get married."

"Don't you want to?" Henry sounded insecure and confused all of a sudden.

"No…I mean…yes, I'd love to. But Henry…you need to understand who your mother is. She is not a person to do big commitments. In fact she has always been somebody to bail out once things got difficult. And I know she has changed because this time she came back. She came back for me. And you. She came back for us", the brunette started her explanation, "I'm so unbelievably happy and I don't want to ruin it this time. I want this to last. And I don't want Emma to feel pressured, to ask for something she might not be ready for. Do you understand that? We can be a family without a marriage certificate. I don't need one. I've gotten so much more than I could have ever dreamed of…so I think it's time to be happy and satisfied with what we have and enjoy it as long as we can."

"I get that", Henry smiled at his mother, "You really love her, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

* * *

Dinner had been delicious and David and Mary Margaret had offered to help Emma with moving since the blonde would not be able to lift anything heavy for quite a while.

Regina had been so relieved that the Charmings were truly supportive and Emma had told her family that Ruby and Ashley would come and help as well, because she had offered Ashley her apartment once she would have moved in with Regina.

The young blonde had been looking for an apartment forever and she wanted to help her and her baby, because they could not stay at the Bed & Breakfast forever. They needed a real home too.

Regina had been a bit surprised, but it had brought a decent smile to her face none-the-less, simply because Emma's actions proved that the blonde was serious and did not need a backup plan.

They had agreed on moving Emma's things Friday afternoon and the blonde was ready to go home, but Regina held her back, "Before we leave I have something to discuss with you and your parents."

"Is this grown up stuff? Should I go to Emma's room?" Henry's voice gave away that he was a little confused.

"No, sweetheart. You can stay. That's perfectly fine", Regina smiled and reached out to squeeze his hand.

All eyes were on her and Regina knew there was no way back now, "Well…during Emma's absence I was in Gold's shop…to look for a spell to bring her back. Clearly I found none…but I found something else. I found a vial with a potion to end it all. To make magic disappear from Storybrooke. Forever."

Everyone sat in silence for a while before Mary Margret broke it, "Are you really considering using it?"

Regina looked her straight in the eyes to make sure the pixie-haired woman saw that she meant it, "Yes, I do."

"Why?" David looked at her in disbelief.

"Because…let's face it. Magic has always caused more trouble than it has done good. And since there are no more beans, since I can't open a portal…we will be stuck here anyway. There is no going back to the Enchanted Forest. But that doesn't mean that nobody can come here from another realm. We'll always be in danger…till we ban magic from here", Regina explained, all calm and sincere.

"You would give up magic? Willingly?" Henry looked at his mother, stunned by her words.

"Absolutely. I have everything I want and need. Why would I ask for more?" she responded with a wink and a bright smile appeared on the boy's face.

"I think it's a good idea", Henry stated simply and the Charmings agreed as well.

And to everyone's surprise Mary Margaret added, "But don't feel like you have to do this, Regina. I know magic is a big part of who you are and you have changed a lot. I know you wouldn't use your magic against us again…if you are afraid of that."

Regina clearly was touched by the statement, tears glistering in her eyes, "I would never do anything to hurt Emma or Henry. Or you and David…because we are family after all."

Mary Margaret could not stop herself from standing up and walking over to Regina, simply to pull the brunette into a hug, remembering how much she had cared for Regina when she had been a child. She had looked up to her, had wanted nothing more than to have her in her life.

And now, after years of fighting each other, of failed attempts to kill each other, after years of broken hearts and dark curses, she finally got what she had dreamed of as a child.

Now that her wish finally came true Mary Margaret became aware that this hole in her heart finally started to close. A hole, which had been there since she could remember, a hole that never had been filled, not even when she had gotten her family back.

But now that Regina and her were able to let go of the hate and the anger, of the past altogether, it happened out of the blue and Mary Margaret realized that this particular spot had always been saved for Regina, because deep down Mary Margaret had always known that the battle for the good within Regina's heart was never lost.

Emma had watched the whole scene in silence, but she could not hide the worried expression on her face from her father, who grabbed her hand all of a sudden, "Don't worry, Emma. I know you're scared that somebody could try to do something to Regina again…because not everybody sees her the way we do…but I assure you…nothing is going to happen. We'll have her back. All of us."

* * *

Once Henry was tucked in Emma and Regina made their way down to the mayor's study to have a glass of the brunette's famous apple cider before they would go to bed as well.

Emma sat there on the couch, her glass in hand, lost in thought, but this time it did not stay unnoticed by Regina.

Back at the Charmings she had been consumed by Mary Margaret's reaction, by the feeling of the warmth only a family could provide, but now Regina saw it bright and clear.

Emma was highly worried.

Even though David had reassured her that they all would look out for each other.

She put her glass onto the couch table, grabbed Emma's to position it there as well and took a seat right next to the blonde, eyeing her intensly.

When Emma did not say a word Regina took the blonde's right hand into her own, squeezing it gently, "Care to tell me what's wrong?"

It took Emma a while to find the right words, because she was truly scared.

She was scared to admit what she was feeling, she was scared to tell Regina what was bothering her.

But when she recognized the worried look on Regina's face Emma knew she had to put the cards on the table, "I…I don't know…what if you regret it? What if I'm not enough…I've never been enough for anyone…what if you realize that you need magic more than you need me one day?"

She turned away because she couldn't bear to look into Regina's eyes, to see the truth in them, to probably find out that her fears and doubts were not just her pure imagination, but then Regina put her hand on her chin and made her face her again, "Emma…listen to me."

Regina linked their hands, intertwined their fingers and put a soft kiss on the palm of Emma's hand before she looked back up, locked eyes with the blonde, "It's true…magic gave me power, but the point is…I never wanted it to begin with. Neither magic, nor power. But it was all I knew. My mother has never been loving and kind…all she ever cared about was power. And more power. I've sworn to myself that I would never become anything like that…but we all knew how that ended. And yes, I had power…because of my magic. But nobody ever loved me. People feared me. So all I got from my magic was loneliness and a darkened, empty heart…and then you came into my life and you brought me close to going insane…more than once. But we've survived all the obstacles, everything life threw at us and we fell in love…with each other. Which is a miracle in itself. You made me feel again, love again…and more than that you made me whole again. You and your family in fact. Which is so incredibly bizarre, but you Charmings are giving me the family I've always wanted. And when you were gone…I realized that magic made me lonely again…I was here…knowing full-well that you were fighting for me, that you were trying to survive…and while you easily could have gotten killed…I was not able to do a thing…although I had magic. I was still helpless. But if we ban it…if we make the magic disappear…we won't need to live in fear of God forbidden creatures anymore. Because nothing can come to Storybrooke and we can't go back to the Enchanted Forest anyway. It's our chance at a happy ending. For everyone. And I'm willing to sacrifice what I shouldn't have had in the first place. Because I can live without magic…I've done it before when I left Storybrooke…but I can't live without my family. And I for sure can't live without you. Because you are enough. You might not be perfect to the world…but you are perfect for me. With all your flaws…you are not only what I need…but you are also what I want."

Tears were running down Emma's cheeks, but she did not care.

For once she allowed herself to be weak, to let go, because she simply could not be strong anymore. The events of the last weeks had taken a toll on her and she needed a break and right then Regina pulled her fully into her arms, held her close, showed her that she was not alone anymore.

That she was cherished by someone, that she was loved and taken care of and Emma could do nothing, but hold onto for dear life.

Because the truth was that she could not live without Regina either.

* * *

They had brought Henry to school together the next morning and now they were standing in front of the well, both perfectly aware of the consequences of their actions ahead.

Regina had asked for Emma's help and the blonde had agreed to join her without hesitation, but now that they were about to end the whole Fairytale life forever Emma's doubts returned and she was barely able to focus, "Are you sure that's what you want?"

"I have never been that sure about anything ever before", Regina reassured, her voice confident and strong.

Emma sighed heavily, but knew that Regina's decision was made, so there was little she could do about it, "So, what now?"

"Well, we simply have to open the vial and put its content right into the well. That's all."

"I never thought it would be so easy to change everything", Emma admitted.

"The road here has been rocky enough, don't you think?" Regina grabbed the blonde's hand to hold it close to her chest.

"Yeah, you are right", Emma gave her a small smile, "Let's do this before something comes up again."

"Oh God forbid!"

Regina simply opened the vial, which held some sort of pink swirling dust and poured it into the well and stepped back to pull Emma into a tight hug.

And then they simply stood there and watched a familiar pink fog leave the town, making its way into the woods where it surrounded them only a minute later before it finally disappeared into the well.

"Is it over?"

"Soon", Regina stated and a loud thunder was heard, followed by the crumbling of stones and then the well disappeared into the ground as well. As if it had never been there.

"Now we are free", Regina announced with a decent smile and sealed her comment with kissing Emma gently.

"Do you…do you feel any different?" the blonde asked, feeling as insecure as she could get.

"I feel relieved…I finally got rid of that burden I was carrying…but I didn't realize that until I met you."

Emma nodded in understanding and leaned in to kiss Regina again.

She kissed her with everything she was, with everything she had, hoping that Regina was right.

That a life in Storybrooke, that a life without magic would be enough.

That she would be enough.


	49. Chapter 49

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 49**

Emma looked through the window and watched the brunette with a smile on her face. She knew she was playing with fire, but she could not stop now.

Six months had went by since magic had been banned from Storybrooke and by now everything and everyone had gotten settled, had calmed down.

The news had spread like a wildfire back then and there had been one or two small incidents, where some citizen had tried to offend Regina, but then Henry had put himself in front of his mom, had protected her like a lion would protect his pack, and people finally had backed off for good.

They had found a routine as a family and also as a couple and things with Regina had worked out just fine.

Sure, the brunette still had her moments of weakness, but they had managed to work through Regina's issues together and she had made so much progress.

And even the town's people had recognized at some point that their feared mayor and former evil queen had changed. Sure, Regina still was the commanding, proud and unapproachable person she had always been when it came to most of Storybrooke's citizens and yet she had become a bit warmer, nicer and more understanding.

Emma had learned to ride a horse after all and they had started to go for rides together with Henry and the blonde had to admit that it was a feeling of freedom to race over the fields on the back of a horse, together with the two people she loved the most.

Her relationship with Regina had blossomed even more and she could not believe that they really had found happiness after all, but it was true.

They were a family and they were happy.

Both, her and Regina had gotten more than they had ever dreamed of.

And yet something was missing.

Something Emma could not ignore any longer.

She caught sight of the brunette again and then she entered the diner, "Hey Ruby! I guess it's time that we talk…"

* * *

Regina sat in her office, trying to get her paperwork done, but she could not really focus on anything.

She had asked Emma if they would meet up for lunch at Granny's, but the blonde had declined. Again.

And Regina slowly started to realize that something was going on. That something had to be going on.

The last couple of months had went way too smooth for her taste, everything had seemed so perfect.

She had been really happy and things with Henry had been fine, she had bonded with the Charmings and life with Emma had been fantastic.

And it scared Regina too death.

She was not used to getting her happy ending.

Regina hated her own insecurities and although she had worked hard on them they still weren't completely gone.

And Emma becoming all secretive for sure did not help.

She knew that Emma truly loved her, but something about the blonde's behavior had changed.

It almost felt like Emma would avoid her, but why?

What had she done wrong now?

They did not have a fight or an argument recently, so Regina really did not understand.

She had asked Emma twice what was going on, but the blonde had told her that everything was fine and yet Regina was not convinced.

Emma was hiding something from her, she just could not put her finger on what it was yet.

The only thing Regina had came to realize lately was that Emma was currently spending an awful lot of time with Ruby and the mayor did not like it one bit.

But she had to trust Emma.

This once she would try to stay calm before her fears would get the better of her again.

* * *

"Emma, you are aware of the fact that Regina will kill me if she finds out, right? Hell, she'll kill us both!" Ruby glared at the sheriff, eyes wide, breathing hard.

"Believe me…I know. That's why she can never find out", Emma answered and smiled awkwardly.

She knew this could easily backfire at her in the worst way possible, but she would not stop now. If she had learned one thing from Regina Mills then it was that one should always go for what they wanted. And that was exactly what she would do.

She took Ruby by the arm and pulled her with her, "Come on, we better hurry…"

But right when they wanted to leave the diner they bumped into Mary Margaret, who watched her daughter and the waitress in disbelief, "Care to tell me what's going on?"

"Hey Mary Margaret…I have no time for explanations right now…I'll call you later…" Emma tried to escape from the uncomfortable conversation, which was about to come.

"Emma, stop! You're not going anywhere…as long as you don't tell me what you are up to…" Mary Margaret looked at her suspiciously.

The blonde's shoulders slumped and she sighed heavily, "Listen, Mary Margaret…this is really not that easy to explain…"

Since she had not been able to concentrate Regina had decided to go for a walk and get some coffee from the diner. Maybe she would get her head off of her weird thoughts too.

Maybe she could wrap Ruby up in a conversation and maybe, if she did it right, she would get some information out of the former wolf as well.

But then she caught sight of Emma, Ruby and an obviously worked up Mary Margaret and she felt her stomach tighten immediately.

What was that supposed to mean?

Luckily the three women were so attached to their conversation, so they did not even recognize her and Regina took her chance to sneak up on them, not able to control her curiosity any longer.

But most of all she was driven by fear and a sudden mistrust in everyone – like back in the days.

"Emma, no. You can't do this to Regina...you know how she is…and what she's been through. Putting this on her is not fair!" Mary Margaret warned.

"She'll never find out if you'll cover for me, Mom. Please! I never meant for you to know…or to get you involved…but now…what other choice do I have? Please, I need your help…" Emma pleaded, her voice filled with desperation.

"I won't lie to her, Emma. I made that mistake once, but I won't do it again", Mary Margaret's statement was final.

"Fine."

Emma dropped her head, but then she turned to talk to Ruby, "I'll call you later."

That said she stormed off, not knowing how to handle the situation with her mother, because it could easily ruin everything.

Regina stood there, a tear rolling down her cheek.

So, Emma really was hiding something from her and it had to be something big if she had asked Snow to lie for her.

And of course Ruby was involved and that thought woke an anger within Regina, an anger she had not felt in forever.

* * *

When Emma had returned to the mansion late at night that day Regina had already been asleep and the blonde had felt guilty the second she had caught sight of the brunette's form.

She really did not want to do things this way, but she had to because Regina could not know. Not now, not ever.

* * *

The second Emma woke up the next morning she realized that Regina was not lying next to her anymore and she slowly started to get worried.

When she had come home yesterday she had not thought anything of it although the mayor usually waited for her to come home, but now that Regina had left without even saying 'Good morning' Emma became aware that Regina might suspect something.

_Freaking hell!_

This could not happen. Not now anyway.

Not as long as she was not sure…

She got out of bed and stumbled down into the kitchen to find Henry, who was eating his cereal.

"Hey kid! Where's Regina?" Emma tried to sound as casual as possible.

He just shrugged, "No idea. She left about ten minutes ago."

"She left for work already?" Emma glared at her son in disbelief.

"Seems like it."

_Crap. Crap. Crap._

This could mean nothing good.

She had to get going, had to talk to Ruby because somehow Emma had the feeling that Regina might pay her a visit.

* * *

Regina sat on a bench at the harbor, staring at the waves, completely lost in thought when she caught sight of a blonde with a baby carriage, who was coming closer.

"Madame Mayor! What brings you here at such an early time?" Ashley asked in surprise.

"I needed some time to think", Regina stated matter-of-factly.

"Can I sit down?" The young mother looked expectantly at the mayor, "Because I don't want to disturb you."

"No. Please, take a seat." Regina wondered about her own words.

Once Ashley was seated she looked at the mayor, recognizing that something had to bother Regina, "What are you thinking about?"

Regina's eyes darkened because she had no intention to talk to anyone, but on the other hand – if she wouldn't get this out soon she would burst out of anger, "True Love."

"Oh", Ashley dropped her head, "Nothing I can help you with then considering that my True Love has left me for someone else."

The lump in her throat made it impossible for Regina to speak at first and she swallowed hard.

Twice.

"What do you think, Miss Boyd. Why did he leave you?"

"Honestly? I don't know. But I came to realize that True Love doesn't exist here. Not in a world without magic. Because True Love is magical. And maybe…like magic worked differently here in this realm, maybe True Love does too. Maybe it's not meant to be forever here…in my opinion Happily Ever Afters are saved for Fairytale Land…because Sean and me…we did great. And then…all of a sudden he falls in love with someone else although we were meant to be together. I guess True Love is just an illusion, created by some desperate people, who needed to believe in something…something to fight for, something to sacrifice everything for."

Regina did not move. She was shocked the core by Ashley's words and her fear of losing Emma grew ten times worse.

She would talk to Emma tonight.

* * *

Unfortunately Emma did not come home at all.

Regina had spent the day in her office, not even bothering to call Emma, because clearly the blonde would have been too busy anyway.

Henry and her had been for a ride and it had helped Regina to get some distraction after all.

But once they had returned to the mansion reality had hit her even harder.

No sign from the blonde, no call, no text.

She had waited till way past midnight, but Emma had not shown up and Regina was close to getting hysterical.

And so she had driven over to the Charmings apartment in the middle of the night, but she had to know where Emma was. And she had to know if Mary Margaret would tell her the truth.

* * *

The sharp knock on the door had her out of her sleep in no time and Mary Margaret knew right away that it could not mean anything good.

David was working a nightshift at the shelter, which meant she had to deal with everything alone.

Great.

She stumbled to the door and pulled it open, just to stare at Regina a moment later and she recognized right away that the brunette must have been crying.

Oh no!

"Want some tea?" Mary Margaret did not know what else to say.

Regina only nodded and entered the apartment, where she let herself fall onto the couch, "Do you know where Emma is? I tried to call her, but I went straight to voicemail."

Mary Margaret was taken aback by the direct approach and she started to fidget with the tea cups, "Uhm…yeah…she's in Boston."

A sharp intake of breath was all that could have been heard for a minute, but then Regina regained her composure, "I take it she has not left alone?"

There she stood, knowing full-well that she should lie. Emma should have been the one to tell Regina, but of course she had to clean up this mess now. And she really had to because Mary Margaret could not bear to lie to Regina. Not again. Not after all that has happened, "Ruby is with her, but listen Regina…I don't know what they are up to…I swear. Emma would not tell me. And she had sworn to me that they would be back in the evening, because you were not supposed to find out…but well…I just got a text from her earlier, saying that they would not be back before Monday because Ruby's car broke down…and…since it's Saturday…they have to wait till Monday to get it fixed. I really have no idea what's going on…I'm sorry."

"Well, I guess it is quite obvious what is going on", Regina growled silently.

"Regina…I…" but Mary Margaret did not continue, because she did not know what to say. She saw the worry in the mayor's eyes, but the truth was she started to worry herself. Mary Margaret was aware of what Regina was implying and somehow she understood. But did that make it true?

"Nevermind. Sorry for bothering you at this late hour", Regina got up and stormed out of the apartment before the tea was ready.

* * *

Walking back to the mansion was exactly what Regina needed. She had not felt up to driving because she had started to cry heavily.

Emma was in Boston. Together with Ruby Lucas.

She was in Boston with the woman she had begun to spend more and more time with.

Did Emma miss living in a big city like Boston? Had she begun to miss her old, action filled bounty hunter life now?

Sure, Storybrooke had become even more boring now that there was no more magic, not that it had been that exciting before.

Had their life started to bore Emma?

And then Regina remembered her conversation with Ashley from earlier.

What if she had ruined her happy ending by banning magic from town? What if Ashley was right? If True Love did not last forever in this world.

But then another thought crept into her mind and a shiver ran down Regina's spine.

Emma had been so afraid that she would not be enough one day, that Regina would want more.

What if it was her, who was not enough? What if it would be Emma, who wanted more after all?

* * *

**_A/N: So, it's really ending…and I won't make any promises about the outcome of the story yet. But I can assure you I'll make it worth reading. So, see you all soon…with the last chapter. xox_**


	50. Chapter 50

**_A/N 2: Hello again!_**

**_Sorry for re-posting, but I since someone mentioned that they were a bit confused about the ending..that I had to do some minor adjustments in the last part. Because it's been all so very clear to me, but obviously not everybody was able to catch up. Sorry for that._**

**_So, there are some minor changes at the end...I hope you understand better now._**

* * *

_A/N: Hello everyone!_

_It's time to say 'Good bye'._

_I'm here now with the last chaper of "The Beauty of the Beast"._

_It has been quite a journey and I enjoyed every word I have written._

_I want to thank everyone, who has found the time to read it. Thank you!_

_And thanks for all the reviews, the messages, the lovely words. You all are amazing!_

_And of course, my biggest thanks go to my dear friend __**Agata**__, whom I have written this story for. She is one of the most interesting people I have ever met._

_She is outspoken and courageous, she is smart and so very funny. She is adorable and she has the heart in the right place. She truly is a beautiful soul._

_I had to admit I'm a bit sad, because I have come to love the characters of my story, but it is time. It's time to let go._

_So, enjoy the last chapter…I hope you'll love it as much as I do._

_Big hugs to all of you,_

_Raven_

* * *

**The Beauty of the Beast**

**Chapter 50**

"I really fucked up", Emma groaned and watched Ruby, who was sitting on the bed right beside her, their thighs touching.

"We both have", Ruby growled, "But I told you from the beginning…you should have told her."

"I couldn't. I still can't. And you know it. You know Regina, you know how she is", Emma hid her face in her hands.

"Yeah, exactly. And that's why you should have told her!"

"Well, it's too late now…I'll take care of my relationship once we are back in Storybrooke", Emma answered weakly, knowing full-well that there would not be much left of her relationship with Regina, except from a million pieces.

* * *

When Regina blinked her eyes open the next morning she had a killer headache. Clearly she had drunken too much whiskey before she had finally gotten to bed to fall into a nightmare plagued sleep.

Now that she was waking up she cursed herself, but the second the memories came back, the ones why she had gotten so wasted,Regina felt the urge to start drinking again.

Emma had left Storybrooke with Ruby – to spend the weekend in Boston.

And yet again she had left without a word, although she had promised to never do that again after her disappearance to the Enchanted Forest.

So, Emma had broken her promise, had lied to her.

Just like everybody else before.

And Regina was aware that she would never recover from that if Emma would not come back soon - to explain herself.

Although Regina doubted that there would be an explanation for this behavior, at least none that she would want to hear.

* * *

Emma wanted to call Regina, wanted to text her, but she did not dare to, because she was sure the mayor would not even bother to listen at this point.

Clearly Regina had talked to Mary Margaret by now, so she was screwed. No matter what.

She had never meant for things to go so wrong, but obviously life had other plans for her.

"Don't worry so much, Em. Or do you regret coming here?" Ruby hugged her close.

"No…no, I don't. I wanted this…and now I have to deal with the damage this decision has caused", Emma stated quickly.

"Maybe it won't be that bad…maybe she'll understand…"

"Yeah, sure…we're talking about Regina here", Emma fired back.

"As if I could forget that! Well, anyway…I'm starving…so, let's go, get some breakfast…and then I want to get inked!"

Ruby bounced through the room like a child, obviously all excited.

"You want to get a tattoo? Are you crazy?" Emma glared at her in disbelief before she added, "Why am I even asking?!"

* * *

Regina and Henry had spent pretty much all Saturday at the stables and she had tried to hide her sorrows from her son, but of course he had seen right through her.

And when Henry had told her that he had absolutely no idea what Emma was up to her heart had sunken even more. If it would be something good Emma would have told their son, because that's what Emma did. She had always put her trust in Henry, but when even he did not know it had to be bad.

And right that moment the last bit of Regina's hope had died.

Thanks to her son and Melech she had not broken down completely, but once they had returned to the mansion Regina had not been able to stop herself from falling apart anymore and so she had called David to take Henry for the weekend.

She needed some time for herself, needed to be alone.

But once Regina was alone in the mansion she felt worse than ever because she realized how close she was to turning back into the person she had once been.

Just without magic this time.

And she also realized how close she was to losing everything once again. But this time she would lose even more than the last time, simply because nothing could compare to the love she felt for Emma and Henry. Nothing she had ever felt before came even close to it.

* * *

Emma sat in the hotel room, lost in thought.

Ruby was in the shower and she was lonely. She wanted nothing more than to talk to Regina, but she was so damn scared.

She took a look at the clock and realized that it was close to midnight and she let the phone drop with a heavy sigh. Regina would be sleeping by now anyway.

This whole situation was so fucked up.

* * *

Regina had not been able to get any sleep at all.

She had been lying awake all night, debating whether she should try to call Emma or not. But she had not dared to because she was too afraid of interrupting something that would crash her whole world forever.

And now she was sitting at the harbor again, staring at the water, completely lost and in unbearable pain.

Why always her? Why couldn't she be lucky for once? Why couldn't she be happy?

_Because you'll always be The Evil Queen, even without magic. Because there is no redemption for murderers. Not ever. You can become as good as you want, but that doesn't change that you have taken too many lives to count._

Her subconscious was playing her and Regina knew it, but there was nothing she could do about it. Maybe it was truth after all.

* * *

"Regina…"

The familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts and Regina looked straight at Ashley, who had baby Alexandra in her arms, "Good morning…"

"Regina, I'm sorry for saying this…but you look horrible. What's wrong? Why are you here again?"

"It's nothing, Miss Boyd. Don't worry."

The blonde sat down on the bench next to the mayor, careful not to invade the brunette's personal space, "It's Ashley. My name is Ashley…and don't try to deny it…you are as miserable as one can get."

Regina glared at her and felt the urge to slap her, but of course it was not really an option, "While that might be true…Miss Boyd…I don't wish to talk about it."

Ashley knew that she was walking on thin ice, but she could not watch Regina suffer like that, "Is it because of Ruby and Emma going to Boston?"

"What do you know about it?" Regina snapped and regretted it immediately, when the baby started crying.

It took Ashley a while to calm Alexandra down, but once the child was back to sleeping soundly in her arms, she looked Regina straight in the eyes, "I don't know a thing. And from what I can tell you don't either…I have no idea what's going on, but I miss Ruby terribly."

"Oh really? Well, don't get your hopes up, because they might not even come back…" the mayor's voice was one dangerous, disgusted growl.

"Now hold on, Regina! What are you talking about? Please, don't tell me you think Emma and Ruby…you know", Ashley's voice was trembling slightly.

"What do you think they are doing in Boston? All by themselves I might add…"

"You can't be serious, Regina. Emma loves you…more than anything. You of all people should know that!" Ashley could not believe what Regina was implying. Emma and Ruby…that was impossible, right?

"I thought I knew…I also thought Emma wouldn't leave without a word again…she promised", Regina dropped her head, willed herself to stay calm because of the baby, "And now she ran off again. With the wolf…of all people. I guess you were right when you said that True Love doesn't exist in this world…"

"Regina, about that…forget I ever said that. I was just upset that day. Because I had seen Sean and Belle together and I don't know…I just…it was stupid to say that…especially since I realized recently that I might get my happy ending after all…maybe not the one I had expected, but still…this person just had to leave town…so I could become aware of my own feelings…", Ashley admitted and checked on her sleeping daughter.

"Wait…are you trying to tell me that you and Miss Lucas are a couple?" Regina eyed the blonde suspiciously.

"No…no, we are not. But that doesn't mean we can't become one", Ashley gave the mayor a hopeful smile.

"Well, I already told you, dear…I'm afraid you'll have to wait in line."

"Regina, that's bullshit…and you know it! Where is all this crap coming from? Emma Swan is so head over heels in love with you…practically the whole town is jealous of you. Just think about it for a second, Regina…Emma has done everything in her powers…to make sure you are happy. To make sure you are safe. To make sure that people leave you alone. She has saved your life…more than once…she was willing to sacrifice hers…what else does she have to do…so you will trust her? Because I don't know what she could possibly do, what she hasn't done yet."

Regina was taken aback by the blonde's words and in that moment she realized that Ashley Boyd was right.

Emma had really done everything for her and what had Emma ever gotten in return? Sure, she had prepared special dinners for Emma, she had made time so they had more quality time together, but all in all…had she ever really done anything to show Emma how much she meant to her? Besides giving her the diary for Christmas maybe. But still.

Why couldn't she trust Emma?

Sure, she was a bold woman, she did not always think about consequences, but when it came down to it, Emma had always been there, had proven that she was reliable.

Overwhelmed by her own thoughts Regina got up, mumbled an apology and headed off. She needed time to think. Alone.

* * *

Regina had spent all night with her thoughts and her fears and although it was killing her she had sworn herself that she would try not to assume the worst.

Emma deserved her trust. In fact the blonde deserved a lot more than that.

She would take a day off work and would cook all of Emma's favorite dishes, because according to Mary Margaret the sheriff and her deputy would return from Boston in the evening.

Because if there was one thing Regina had realized after her second conversation with Ashley – it was the fact that she had begun to take things for granted and that could not happen again. Emma was the most precious thing in her life and their love was definitely unique.

And Regina knew that she was not the biggest outburst on love, simply because of her upbringing, but she would cherish her time with Emma, her time with her family more in the future. And she would give Emma more credit for everything she was doing.

* * *

Emma stood in front of the Charmings' apartment door and hesitated. She feared what would await her once she would knock, but she could not hide from the truth forever.

But the moment she raised her hand the door swung open and Mary Margaret bumped right into her, "Hi Mom!"

"Don't even start, Emma. What are you doing here?!"

"We just came back from Boston and I wanted…" Emma began her explanation, but got cut short by Mary Margaret, "No! No, no, no. Get your ass over to Regina's and explain to her why the hell you left…"

"Mary Margaret, it's really complicated and I can't talk to her yet", Emma whined because her mother stared at her angrily.

"I really don't care, Emma. You are old enough to sort your stuff out. You made a decision and now live with the consequences. Go to the mansion, now!"

* * *

Regina had prepared everything for dinner and was pacing around in the kitchen. Henry was at the shelter with David and would sleep at the Charmings so Emma and her would have enough time to talk. And they really needed to do that.

They needed to have a serious conversation and Emma had to explain a lot of things, because there had to be a reason for her disappearance.

Regina was caught in a state between going crazy and hoping for the best, because while her heart told her that Emma would never hurt her, her head told her that she had been fooled once again.

The last few days had been nothing, but torture and she felt drained, emotionally and physically – thanks to the lack of sleep and the whole lot of crying.

But she had decided to give Emma a fair chance for once, which meant that the blonde would be innocent in her books until proven otherwise.

It was hard for her to accept the things for what they were, but for Emma she would try to stay calm, to keep her doubts and fears under control, to stay rational and yet loving.

When the front door opened Regina's heart skipped not just one beat before it went into overdrive.

She made her way into the hall and there she stood.

Emma Swan, looking all guilty and exhausted and Regina's stomach tightened immediately, but she managed to keep breathing, "Good evening, dear. Dinner is ready in about fifteen minutes."

The blonde's mouth fell open and she glared at Regina as if she had seen a ghost because of all the scenarios she had imagined – that had not been an option. She had thought Regina would spit fire as soon as she would enter the house, "Uh…uhm…yeah. I'll take a quick shower then."

That said she stormed upstairs, eager to get away before Regina could say anything else.

* * *

They had eaten dinner in complete silence, which had almost killed Regina's patience, but she had been aware that pushing Emma would lead her nowhere.

And the blonde had been quite surprised when she had recognized all her favorite dishes on the table, but had not said a word.

Now that they were done eating Regina could not stay quiet any longer, "Care to tell me where you have been, dear?"

"I've been in Boston, but I guess you already know that."

Regina nodded, "That I do, dear. I also know that you have been there together with Miss Lucas."

Emma looked at Regina, obviously trying to sense the brunette's mood and their eyes locked. Regina's stare became so intense that Emma had trouble holding it, "Is there anything you want to tell me, Emma?"

"Not at all. Been a rather boring weekend…besides the fact that Ruby got herself a wolf paw tattooed on her wrist. We were stuck because her car broke down. That's all", Emma had to break eye contact because she could not bear it any longer, "Anyway…I have to get going. Thanks for the very delicious dinner. I loved every bite of it."

"Where are you going?" Regina could not believe it. Emma was leaving? Again?

"Uh…just for a walk, really."

* * *

Regina's heart had sunken the second Emma had left the mansion, because she was well aware that Emma would meet up with Ruby, but what should she have done?

Forbid it?

Back in the days she would have done that, but she was a different person now. At least she tried to be, although the darkness was wrapping itself round her soul like a veil more and more.

And the familiar feeling of loneliness, pain and disappointment gave her a certain amount of comfort because it was what she had known all her life.

She had put all her hopes into this evening, but Emma had let the bubble burst without blinking.

What was she supposed to do now?

* * *

Emma was sneaking around in the darkness, her heart beating fast when somebody grabbed her arm and caused her to jump.

"Relax, Em…it's just me…" the familiar voice of Ruby Lucas swung through the night.

"Jesus, Ruby! You almost gave me a heart attack…for a moment I really believed that Regina has followed me", Emma tried to catch her breath before she hugged the brunette woman, "Thanks for coming."

"How did it go at home?" Ruby asked carefully.

"I don't know. Regina has cooked all my favorite stuff…hell, I feel so guilty. I couldn't even look at her…and I can't talk to her either…because I don't want to lie…so I kind of bailed out on her again…" Emma answered with a helpless shrug.

"Emma! Talk to her…tell her something…but you can't go on like that…" Ruby pleaded.

"Yeah…I have to talk to her eventually. But for now…let's go…we don't have much time."

* * *

Emma had not returned to the mansion till the morning and Regina was in a really bad mood. She was just glad that Henry was not there to witness it.

All her resolutions were out of the window by now and she was drowning in darkness more and more, but she did not care anymore.

Before the Boston trip Emma had been a bit strange, but now she avoided her completely. She did not even come home anymore.

So it seemed the decision was made already and she had not even gotten a say on it at all.

Regina decided to walk over to Granny's because she did not feel like driving, but on her way over she caught sight of Emma, who was entering the flower shop and a glimpse of hope showed up in Regina's mind.

Maybe Emma had realized that she had made a mistake after all?

She continued her way to the diner, praying that this whole insanity would be over soon, because she felt so torn and desperate and Regina did not know who much more she could take.

When she finally arrived at the diner she instantly caught sight of a brightly smiling Ruby Lucas, who was talking to Granny and Regina slid into a booth quickly, because she felt like she would faint any second.

Ruby seemed to hesitate to get to take her order too and Regina was glad that she had a few moments to regain her composure, at least a little, but when the waitress showed up at her table Regina felt like ripping hearts out again.

If only she could.

No, she would not go back there. Not even if she could.

She managed to order a coffee in the end and grabbed the newspaper, that was lying on the table to hide behind it.

Hide from Ruby and the rest of Storybrooke.

By the time the coffee was delivered Regina was caught up in an article about the horse therapy at the stables. Archie's project had turned out to be a success – at least some good news this morning.

When the diner door flung open Regina did not even bother to look up, but the words "The sheriff sent me" caught her attention and she dropped the newspaper.

And the next thing that dropped was Regina's jaw.

Belle's father stood there, a bouquet of the most beautiful dark red roses she had ever seen in hand, handing it to Ruby, who smiled sweetly and thanked the man before he left.

Regina did not know what to do or where to go.

She felt like a caged animal and she did not like it one bit. She would lose control over herself any minute and then she saw the white envelope in Ruby's hand, an envelope exactly like the ones Emma had always given her and then it was enough.

She had to get out of there immediately.

* * *

Ruby had watched Regina storm out of the diner as if the devil would be after her and had texted Emma right away, because the waitress had a feeling that things had just gotten worse. At least ten times.

Once Emma was sitting at the counter Ruby reported what had happened only minutes ago and the blonde sighed in desperation, "What am I going to do? Everything is completely out of control…"

"I know, Em…sorry!"

"It's not your fault…I just didn't expect any of this to happen and now it's one big disaster. Regina is close to breaking down…which is the worst about all of this…because I never meant to hurt her…at all."

"Yeah…and you really should talk to her…explain the situation to her", Ruby stated matter-of-factly.

"You know what, Ruby…you are right. I'll do it tonight…I have no idea how to manage everything…but this charade will end tonight", Emma jumped up, "I better get going…I have a lot to do."

"Emma? Emma, wait!"

But it was pointless.

All Ruby could do was watching Emma running out of the diner as if she had seen a ghost.

* * *

Regina had spent most of the day at the stables, seeking comfort with Melech, because the stallion was the only thing she could hold on to and it had made her feel a bit better, but once she had returned to the mansion the darkness of her thoughts had started to consume her once again.

Now that she sat in her study, a tumbler with apple cider in hand, Regina thought about her life and how useless she was after all.

She had failed again.

But before she could have drowned completely she heard the front door open and soon after that the footsteps of her son.

How would Henry react to all of this? Would he hate her again? Would he blame her for not being better, for not trying harder?

She would have fought, would have tried everything, but Emma did not even talk to her. So what could she possibly do?

"Mom, you need to get dressed!" Henry yelled from the kitchen, which caused Regina to get up. He knew exactly that he should not yell in the house.

Stalking through the hallway Regina tried to calm down, because she did not want to snap at her son. Things would get hard enough for him eventually.

For all of them.

"Hey, are these roses from Emma?" Henry asked as soon as he caught sight of his mother, who glared at him in disbelief.

"Roses?"

She did not understand. What was Henry talking about? But as soon as she entered the kitchen she saw them with her own eyes. Exactly the same bouquet Ruby had been holding in her hands in the morning.

What the hell was going on?

"There's a card too", Henry announced, grabbed it and handed it to his mother, who was absolutely startled.

This had to be one sick joke.

But then she recognized her name neatly written on the front of said envelope and she took it quickly to pull it open and reveal the message it held.

Emma's handwriting. No doubt about that.

Her eyes roamed over the quote again and again and it took Regina a while to take the words in, because they simply took her breath away.

_'A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we're pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we're safe in our own paradise. Our soulmate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we're two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we've found the right person. Our soulmate is the one who makes life come to life.' –Richard Bach_

Tears were running down Regina's cheeks and she was more confused than ever.

What was this all about? What did it mean? Nothing made sense anymore.

"Mom, you better hurry. Mary Margaret and David will be here any minute. Get dressed…" Henry insisted.

"What? Why? Where are we going?" Regina knew she had lost track long ago.

"Just wear something comfortable…and hurry!"

That said Henry disappeared from the kitchen, leaving his rather lost mother behind.

* * *

Emma was pacing around like crazy and neither Ruby, nor Ashley were able to calm her down.

"What if she rips my head off before I can say a word?"

"She won't. I've met her twice on the weekend…and believe me when I tell you that Regina was more heartbroken than angry", Ashley commented.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Emma glared at her.

"Everybody just calm down!" Ruby growled, "As you said, Emma…you made a decision and now you have to face the consequences. You ready?"

"No?" Emma looked as insecure as a school girl and Ruby started to smile, "Good. Because they are here."

* * *

David stopped the car in front of the cabin and Regina could not believe it. Torches led the way to the front door and made it look all the more homely.

She still had no idea what was going on, but she would find out soon.

They had dropped Mary Margaret and Henry off at the Charmings apartment and David had not said one word since then, but now he hugged Regina, "I know you had a hard couple of days…and I bet you are quite angry too…but please consider that this has not been any easier for Emma."

Regina nodded although she did not really understand the cryptic message from Charming and got out of the car.

And the first thing she saw was Ruby Lucas.

Of course.

But then she recognized Ashley, who was standing next to Ruby, holding the brunette's hand.

Could it get any weirder?

The second she started to walk closer Ashley and Ruby began to wave at Emma, who was leaning in the doorframe and Regina felt her heart racing in her chest.

Ruby and Ashley came right towards her, still holding hands, smiling at each other and when she passed them Ruby pulled her to a short stop, "Emma always meant well, don't forget that. Enjoy your evening, Regina."

And then the two women got into David's car and before Regina could realize it she was alone.

Except for Emma, who watched her every step.

* * *

When Regina finally stood in front of Emma she did not know what to say or do.

She was too confused, too scared and too overwhelmed to think straight.

All she wanted was to pull Emma into her arms and hold her close without ever letting go again.

But clearly she could not do that because she still was not convinced by this whole situation.

"Would you please come inside?" Emma asked carefully and moved so Regina could indeed enter the cabin.

And once Regina caught side of the interior she held her breath.

The whole cabin had been renovated. The furniture Gold had bought had been replaced. The walls had been painted and there was now a comfortable bed, a new dining table, a bigger couch and new kitchen equipment – everything in warm earth tones, which made the cabin look very cozy and comfortable.

And then Regina recognized all the frames on the walls, frames that held pictures of her family.

She looked at Emma, because she still did not understand. Not a thing.

"I guess I owe you an explanation…and more than that…an apology", Emma stated softly and took Regina's hand to lead them to the couch, "Please, take a seat. Want something to drink? A glass of wine maybe?"

All Regina could to was nod because she was so taken aback by the whole situation and she had no idea what to think of it.

* * *

Emma lit the fire in the chimney and brought a bottle of red wine, together with two glasses and put them on the couch table and then she finally sat down next to Regina, immediately taking the brunette's hand in her own, holding it gently.

"Regina, I…I know you are hurt…and probably really angry…but please, hear me out. Even if I don't deserve it", Emma began her little speech and when the brunette did not complain she continued, "I know what everything must have looked like the couple of days, Regina. But I swear to God that I never touched Ruby, except for a friendly hug. She helped me make this whole renovation thing happen…we've been working so hard…and I could not tell you…I could not tell anyone…because somebody would have spit it…and it could not happen…more about that later…and about Boston…the plan was to go there, pick something up…something I really needed…and come back…you were not supposed to ever find out…not because I had anything to hide…well, that's not entirely true…because I wanted to surprise you…and…and…"

Her rambling had become too much, even for herself, but the problem was that Emma's thoughts had started to do flip flops and she could not really focus anymore. She would even screw this up.

"Just take a deep breath…" Regina whispered and squeezed her hand gently.

Emma did as she was told and after a few moments she found the courage to continue her explanation, "The freaking car broke down…I thought we better not go with my death trap…because you kept telling me that it's not safe. So we took Ruby's car and the damn thing died on us. And I did not know what to do…I was so scared and I didn't dare to call you…stupid…I know", Emma dropped her head in shame, but Regina reached for her chin and made her look up again, "It was definitely stupid…but I felt the same way…so I understand."

"I expected you to be so mad when I came back…I thought you would bite my head off", Emma admitted weakly, "I was not prepared for a nice dinner and stuff. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for being so strange…and for avoiding you…but I did not want to lie…and I could not tell anyone…and…you might never forgive me…and…"

"Emma, stop!" Regina had not meant to sound so harsh, but she was on the edge and had little control over herself. She knew that everything Emma had said was true, she could see it in the blonde's eyes and although a part of her screamed for payback she would not let Emma suffer now.

It would get them nowhere. One of the things she had learned from the past. Revenge only mad everything worse, but never better. And Emma had done nothing wrong. Sure, Emma could have handled some things differently, but that also counted for herself. She could have called Emma for example - instead of doubting her. They both had made mistakes over the last couple of days, but Regina was ready to let it slide, ready to forgive - this once. Because deep in her heart she knew that Emma was truly sorry for what had went wrong although it had not even been in her hands. And yet again Emma's intention had been to do something great for her and she could see that now. Bright and clear.

"I spent the last few days crying, cursing and God knows what else…you are aware of my habit to assume the worst…and what can I say. Old habits die hard. Hell, I needed a lecture from Ashley Boyd to see clearly again! She made me see that I have no reason to doubt you. You've always been good to me, have always put me first. Though you disappearing is something I will never get used to…but I still have hope that you will stop with this nonsense at some point…and we all make mistakes. God knows how many I have made in my life. You really have put me to the test this time and I was close to losing my mind, I admit that. It would be easy to argue with you now and a part of me is really tempted, but I also see that you have been a victim of circumstances. I believe you when you say you have never meant to hurt me or betray my trust and I feel a bit ashamed for assuming otherwise, because you deserve better than that. I can see that now. Emma, please know that I am aware how lucky I am to have you. And I don't want to fight right now, I don't want to fight at all. I just want to hold you in my arms and never let go again, because I love you."

Regina looked at Emma, honesty and sincerity shining in her stunning brown eyes. She waited for the blonde to make a move, to pull her into a hug, but nothing happened.

And that had Regina confused again. What had she done now?

She had managed to get over herself, over her fears and had acted like an actual human and yet Emma did not react, which made Regina uncomfortable once again.  
And then Emma got up and her instincts told her to follow suit because otherwise the blonde might bail out again and she would not let that happen.

So there they stood facing each other and Emma took Regina's hand once again, "There's a reason why I had to go to Boston and to why we renovated the cabin. I wanted this place to be truly ours...and I never meant for you to see it before the weekend, but as you said...circumstances have changed. I never planned on wearing my red leather jacket either, but nevermind. I had to go to Boston because I needed something I would not get in Storybrooke. At least not without everyone knowing and spilling. You know how nobody in Storybrooke can stop themselves from gossiping. And as I said before...that could not happen. I didn't even dare to tell Henry, because I had to do this my way. Because I want to do this..."

Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath, remembering her conversation with Henry from a few weeks ago. He had asked her if she even wanted to get married and she had told him that she had thought about it recently, but that she was not sure if Regina wanted that too. That had been the moment when Henry had told her about his talk with his mom, a talk around the time Emma had moved in with them. She had been so surprised about Regina's words, had been so surprised about the fact that Regina had told Henry that she would give up her dream about getting married because she did not want Emma to feel pressured and be uncomfortable. And that had been the day Emma had made up her mind. That day Emma had made up her mind.

She took another deep breath and locked eyes with Regina once again, "I never thought I would be this happy one day and here I am, feeling like the luckiest person, because I have you in my life, Regina. When I first came to Storybrooke I wanted to smack you, I admit that. And later on I might even considered strangling you for a moment or two…but Henry succeeded in getting us to a point where we finally got along…and I will be forever grateful for that. Getting to know you has been the most amazing journey of my entire life. I've never wanted a house or a family...I never wanted to be committed like that after growing up as a foster child and moving all the time...because I knew I could not have it anyway. And for me there was no point in chasing after some childhood dreams because they seemed to be out of reach…but then I came here and met you and that turned my whole world upside down. You made me see things differently and you made me want things I could have never imagined. With you I found the missing part of the puzzle, I've found my home and I found myself. Because you have the keys to my locks and the other way round. We are meant to be and everybody has realized that by now. I don't care how boring Storybrooke can be, because for me every day is exciting.. simply because I get to see you. I want forever, Regina. And I want it together with you…no matter what life might throw at us in the future because we can overcome any obstacle…together." That said Emma got down on own knee and pulled a small box out of her red leather jacket. She opened it with trembling fingers and held out a beautiful diamond ring, "I love you with everything I am. And I want to be with you for the rest of my life. No matter what has happened in the past, no matter how many flaws you think you have…I will always choose you, Regina. Because I'm done running, because I know where I belong. And that's why I am asking you now…will you marry me?"

"Yes."

A simple word, all soft and tender – a simple word, that should change their future forever.

Emma put the ring onto Regina's finger, careful not to hurt her and it turned out to be the perfect fit.

Tears were streaming down Regina's cheeks.

Tears of surprise, tears of relief and tears of joy. She had never thought this would ever happen, but dreams could come true after all.

She had never believed in miracles, but now she had found hers.

It was standing right in front of her in the form of Emma Swan.

When they finally wrapped their arms around each other their surrounds disappeared within a heartbeat, because Regina and Emma were so caught up in one another.

Both of them were smiling, their eyes sparkling and then they finally leaned in to share the most breathtaking kiss they had ever experienced.

A kiss that sealed what could not be apart, a kiss that sealed the love of two women, who had walked through hell to find themselves.

And each other.

And when Emma locked eyes with Regina once again she could finally see it – the true beauty of the woman, who held her heart.

The true beauty of the woman who had wandered in darkness for so long, feared like a beast.

The true beauty of Regina Mills.

* * *

_~We grow up with all these fairytales, that are supposed to teach us some lessons. They give us hope, they make us believe that True Love exists. And all these fairytales inspire us, feed our imagination, make us dream big dreams._

_But then we grow up and reality hits us for the first time. It hits us and all our dreams start to fade, our imagination begins to concentrate on rational things instead of going after some childhood fantasies. And we begin to struggle because we want to do the right thing, which leads us to ignore the voice of our heart. Because True Love does not exist in the real world or that's what we come to realize after getting our heart broken for the first time._

_And as life goes on we begin to wonder if it might be true – can love be weakness?_

_Once the darkness consumes us we are sure about it and there is no doubt that love can be pain, that it indeed can be weakness._

_But once we find the right person, once we find our one True Love, life becomes more colorful and we start to feel like children again._

_Because this love warms us up, takes our breath away, brings light into the darkness and from one moment to the next we have our dreams back, we are back in Fairytale Land._

_True Love gets us back on our feet when we fall, it reminds us to never give up, it gives us hope and it encourages us to never stop fighting._

_Because True Love can break any curse, because True Love can brighten the darkest of hearts._

_Because True Love is the most powerful magic of all.~_

**The End.**


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